


Wolves In Sheep's Clothing

by Wasted_Shadows



Category: Hotel Artemis (2018)
Genre: AU where Manny Orian and Crosby are still alive, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Character Turned Into Vampire, Drug Use, HOTEL ARTEMIS SPOILERS, Hotel Artemis - Freeform, I mean he's called The Wolf King, Nice (mentioned), Nice is dead im sorry, Sexual Content, Someone had to write it, Strippers & Strip Clubs, The Franklins are werewolves, Vampire Turning, Vampires, y'know how it goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-06-24 03:40:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15621753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wasted_Shadows/pseuds/Wasted_Shadows
Summary: The Franklins are werewolves and Manny is suddenly dragged into the dark, supernatural world of the LA shadows.





	1. Chapter 1

**Los Angeles, August 24 th, 2028. One month since the Clearwater riots. **

“What’s the hold up? I’ve got a fucking meeting at quarter past and its half past now. Do you fucking KNOW how much trouble I’m going to be in because I’m late?”

“I’m sorry sir.” the chauffer spoke nervously from the driver’s seat of a black limousine, the tinted windows shading the obnoxious little man who sat impatiently on the plush velvet back seats. “They’re running security checks if you would just give me 5 more minutes I’ll be able to-”

“Oh don’t give me that crap just drive right on in there!” Manfred Stone, LA’s returning arms dealer, interrupted with infuriation. His driver ignored him, and instead focused his attention to the security officer stood outside, checking his licence.

“You’re clear,” security indicated to the chauffer, before tapping on the tinted glass which separated him from Mr Stone, “But we’ll have to see his ID too.” The chauffer hesitated before flicking a switch on his dash board, triggering the window to scroll down, exposing the arms dealer to the mid-afternoon sun. 

“What is it?” Manny protested, “I haven’t got time for this.”

“Sir, I’ll need to check some form of identification.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Manfred blinked at him in disbelief. “I haven’t got any. Do you know how long it takes to get a replacement licence when you’re in another fucking country?”

“Then I’m afraid we’re going to have to run some checks.” Security handed a piece of paper through the window. “Please complete this form and we’ll run checks straight away.”

“Look.” Manny sighed, clearly distressed. “I’ll give you money, I’ll give you arms. You look like your boss hasn’t upgraded your protection since ’07. Just let me in, I have a meeting with Orian Franklin. Let me show you.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed the on button. Instantly a cone of holographic light propelled out, displaying an email which illuminated the entire backseat.

“Sir, we don’t take too kindly to bribery. Just please complete the form so that we can run checks and you can be on your wa-”

“LOOK AT MY FACE,” he screamed, taking off his glasses. “I’M MANNY FUCKING STONE. JUST FUCKING LET ME IN.”

“Mr Stone…” The chauffer spoke anxiously, frightened by the insufferable man’s screaming. “Fill out the form. It will only take them 2 minutes to run the checks.”

“Unbelievable,” Manfred groaned, snatching the form from the security’s hand and digging a pen from the pocket on the inside of his Gucci jacket.  He returned his prescription glasses to his face before scribbling his details on the form. “Here.” He threw the form back at security when he had finished, “Now hurry up okey I haven’t got all day.”

The security officer took the form in silence and returned to his control room besides the road to run the checks. Manfred waited impatiently until he heard an automated female voice from the security hut.

“ _Manfred Stone. Los Angeles resident. Please proceed. Have a nice day_.”

“Fucking computer bitch.” He muttered to himself, manually winding up his window as the bollard blocking the road lifted, allowing them passage into the estate.

“Y’know you could probably make it lighter in here,” he suggested, irritated. “Because it’s fucking difficult to read this in light. If that fucking whore hadn’t fucked up my goddamn eye it would’ve been fine but now I can’t fucking see shit.”

“Sir, that’s a complaint you will have to direct to management,” The chauffer replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Yeah whatever,” Manny grumbled, “What’s with all the extra security anyway?”

“Since the Clearwater riots the residents of the estate thought it was necessary to increase their protection.”

“They already do enough to keep the poor people out.”

“Yes, but a small number of rioters thought it was necessary to take advantage of the situation in the city to try and break in to numerous homes on the estate.”

“Fucking animals.” Manny tutted, “I better get business back up. LA’s gone to shit, but rich folk always gotta be protected.” 

“Sir I don’t think you’re in a position right now to be talking like-”

“Okey shut the fuck up it’s none of your fucking business.”

The chauffer didn’t reply. He remained silent for the remaining few minutes of the drive until they pulled up to gate of the security fence surrounding the largest mansion on the estate.

Manfred grabbed his phone and flung the open the limousine door, pulling himself from his ride before the chauffer had even turned off the engine. “Don’t fucking drive off okey,” He shouted back at the driver as he flung his Louis Vuitton bag over his shoulder and storming up to the gate. “I’m fed up with companies leaving me stranded in LA.”

“Of course, sir,” the driver called out of the window as he prepared himself for the wait as his client approached the gate and pressed the buzzer to indicate his arrival.

“Hello?” A voice crackled back through the speaker.

“Yeah this is Manny Stone. I have a meeting with Orian. Sorry I’m late.”

“Certainly sir, please could you look into the scanner for just a moment as we verify your identity.”

“Again?” He complained. “I’ve had it with these fucking security measures. I can’t anyway. My eye’s fucked, it won’t match what’s on your database. Have you got a fucking thumb scanner or something? I don’t know, I don’t care. I know the Franklins have my prints on the system.”

“Prints are far too easy to recreate these days.” The crackled voice replied. “I’ll connect you to the Wolf King directly, please hold.” The voice hung up and was replaced by continuous, high pitched buzz. However, the buzz was barely audible as from no where a large husky-like dog bounded over to the gate, snout drawn back in a snarl, bearing each sharp canine fang.

Manny jumped back, clutching his bag tight. “What the fuck?” He yelled into the microphone, unsure if anyone could hear him. “This fucking… thing is going to kill me.” There was panic in his voice as the dog growled and barked angrily at him.

“Hello? Is there anyone there? Jesus fucking Christ.”

Behind the noise of the barking the buzzing ceased, and the crackled voice returned, although Manny’s attention was elsewhere. “The Wolf King is on his-”

“Easy now kiddo.” A soft, composed voice came from the other side of the fence. Immediately the husky sat and stopped barking, instead letting out a small whine. Orian Franklin patted the dog’s head once before speaking to it again. “Run along kid, I’ll come find you later.”

The dog nuzzled Orian’s hand affectionately before scampering off back up the courtyard and disappearing through the open door of the house.

Manfred stared in uncertainty until the dog was out of sight before dusting off his suit and approach the gate once more.

“When the fuck did you get dogs Orian?” Manny huffed, still able to feel his heart pounding from fright.

“I’ve always had them,” Orian gave no trace of his emotion as he unlocked the gate and let Manfred through.

“It’s not going to eat me is it? Y’know, while we’re in here? That thing was savage.”

“You have nothing to worry about. He’s all bark and no bite. Too fucking soft for my liking.” Manfred looked horrified but Orian just played it off, cooly and calmly. “What’s all this about the scanner anyway?”

“Yeah see my eye’s fucked. It won’t match your system anymore.” He pulled off his glasses to show Orian the scars running across his face.

“Ouch. Manny how’d you let that happen?”

“That’s none of your fucking business.”

“Now now,” Orian tutted, “You were in the …uh… the Artemis the night of the riots. In for that I assume?” He pulled off his sunglasses and indicated to Manfred’s face with them.

“Yeah…” He paused, wondering how Orian had known he was in that night, despite them not seeing each other. “Worst day of my fucking LIFE. The infinity pool in Cancun wasn’t even that great either. Some get away that turned out to be. Anyway, this better be fucking important. I had to hire a fucking chauffer to drive me here, that’s why I’m late. My new fucking license hasn’t arrived yet.”

“You lost your licence?”

“Stolen,” Manfred snapped. “It was fucking stolen. That piece of shit and his little girlfriend took it while I was in the Artemis. I was supposed to be fucking safe in there, but no I got stolen from, my nose broken, and my fucking suit ruined. And don’t get me started on the fucking carnage.”

“Carnage?” Orian’s brows dipped with confusion.

“Yeah I went to shoot that whore. Giving me the whole superior act, fucking bitch.  But when I found her she’d already been ripped to shreds, I don’t know by what, but I got blood on my fucking socks.”

“I see.” Orian replied. “Sounds like I …uh… missed a whole lot of fun while I was drugged up. Good old Jeany”   

“Be grateful you missed it all. That ninja bitch was a fucking nightmare.”

“Oh, I’m sure Elodie was just doing what she was good at.”

“Well if you’re insisting that she was good at being a complete cunt, yeah we’d be on the same line.”

Orian chuckled and patted the small, angry man on the back before changing the subject. “So… you …uh… got out of LA?”

“The city was going burning to shit and I didn’t have no security. Those fucking rioters were tearing the place apart and I wasn’t going to risk staying there. Called myself another pick up after seeing the carnage at the Artemis and got the fuck outta there…. What happened anyway? After that night?”

“What do you mean?” Orian asked.

“Well you know… LA’s not burning anymore. Those poor people obviously did something.”

“Ah,” The Wolf King replied. “The protestors they …uh… they destroyed the Clearwater headquarters. Two days later I was discharged from the Artemis and immediately purchased all water rights from the company.”

“You’re in charge of the fucking water now?” Manny exclaimed.  

“I own half of LA, Manfred.” Orian snapped before returning to his cool demeanour. “I restored the supply, put an end to the riots, but I …uh… kept the prices high enough to dominate the market.”

“You sly fox,” Manny complimented him.

“Fox?” Orian questioned him curiously.

“I uh…” Manfred paused. “Wolf…”

“Come this way.” The Wolf King chose not to reply to Manfred and instead led him up the court yard and into the grand hall of the Franklin’s household.


	2. Chapter 2

“What was so important that you made me come all the way here from the fucking airport anyway? I didn’t even have time to stop off at my apartment and get anything, so if you assumed I’d bring anything here with me you’re outta luck, I’m fresh out of shit. I haven’t even got my 3D printed glock. Fucking airport security swiped it.” Manfred dropped his bag on the floor besides the elegant, gold embroidered three-seater sofa in the hall before throwing himself upon its cushions, lounging out, boots on the fabric. Orian wandered over and batted Manny’s legs off the seat, much to the small man’s annoyance. In protest Manny twisted his position and instead placed both his feet on the glass coffee table in front of them. 

“Detroit has been on my ass since the riots.” Orian spoke, taking a seat on the adjacent matching sofa.

“Detroit Waste Disposal? What shit they got on you?”

“Well you see, Elodie… I mean uh… Nice… she had a contract with them. She made an attempt on my life-”

“Yeah yeah I know she ‘only kills important people’. Ugh.” Manfred groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose, remembering the pain she and that metal fence had caused. “Still can’t believe that fucking bitch put her hit in a hospital. Stupid whore.”

“Yes. She choreographed a fake hit to bring me to the Artemis, where she waited. However, she never got her pay check. Since then Detroit has been nothing but …uh… trouble.”

“What shit has Detroit got on you anyway? Like, you’re basically the king of LA, what makes them think they can get some low life Parisian bitch to make a hit on you? Fucking idiots.”

“Manfred,” Orian paused. “There’s a lot you don’t know about the LA underworld. It’s a …uh… a darker place than you realise.”

 “LA underwor-… I fucking know what kind of scene the LA underworld is like I supply a third of all arms to gangs and shit. I know what it’s fucking like.”

“No,” Orian snapped. “There’s people in LA that you don’t want to get on the wrong side of. Detroit is one of them.”

Manny jumped at the Wolf King’s sudden change in demeanour, but it was short lived as Orian’s voice became soft once more. “I would also consider… uh… ourselves to be another.”

“Well yeah no body knows to mess with the Franklins.”

“But do you know why?” Orian’s tone became serious. Not harsh like previous, but stern and unnerving.  Manny instantly felt unsafe and shuffled a bit on the sofa, pulling his legs closer to his body, rather than having them extended across the top of the coffee table. “We are wolves, Manfred. Parading around Los Angeles in sheep’s clothing.”

“What’s that fucking supposed to mean? You can’t just use the wolf analogy for everything. I don’t give a shit if your nickname is ‘The Wolf King’. Just give me a straight fucking answer.”

“The Malibu mob is just a front. We’re …uh… I’d call us a pack. Pack hunters and I’m the alpha.”

“So what you’re a pack? The word means the same fucking thing as mob. God are you fucking werewolves or something? Just give me a straight fucking answer!”

 “I guess you could …uh… call us that. Yes.”

Manny’s mouth hung open slightly in shock, pure fear in his eyes. But before he could say anything a loud sneeze erupted from the other end of the room.

“Why’d you have to bring him in here Dad. This place is going to smell like his fucking cologne for days.”

Orian looked up to see Crosby storming across the hall, an unimpressed expression plastered across his face. “Cros, now isn’t… uh… a very good time.”

“You know my nose was stinging for fucking days after what happened in the Artemis.”

“Hey what’s your fucking problem kid?” Manny snapped at Crosby. “This shit is worth more than your fucking life and if your daddy even cared about you maybe he’d buy you some of your own.”

Crosby’s face twisted with anger as he grabbed Manny by the throat and effortlessly lifted him out of the sofa. “Don’t you FUCKING speak to me like that.” He spat in his face, curling his lip to produce an inhuman growl. Manny choked and tried to kick out as a couple of beads of sweat dripped from Crosby’s slick forehead onto his own.

“Whoa there, sport,” Orian stood from the sofa and calmly patted Crosby’s shoulder. “Put him down, that’s it.”

Crosby frowned and placed Manfred back on the sofa, removing his hand from his throat. Manny coughed and grasped at his neck.”

“Hey what the fuck man?” he coughed. “That’s going to bruise. You got a fucking complex or some shit?”

Crosby growled again and was about to initiate another attack but Orian grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him away.

“I know you mean well Cros, but …uh… Manny here is going to help us out.”

“You think I’m gonna help you out if you can’t control your fucking son.”

“Manfred,” Orian turned to him. “Ignore him, he’s working on his …uh… anger issues. And with Detroit on our asses, he’s getting stressed. Cut the kid some slack.”

“Wow Orian, getting your kids to protect you now? Don’t you have enough security to do that?”

“I don’t really have a …uh… a choice.” Orian paused and looked at Crosby whose face had shifted into a permanent confused frown. “Captain Tryhard does what he likes.”

“Dad I’ve told you not to fucking call me that.” Crosby scowled.

“Sure thing, kiddo.” Orian dismissed his son’s annoyed complaints and turned his attention back to Manny. “Now. Detroit have-”

“Look Orian I don’t give a fuck about Detroit or whatever, just give me a straight answer. You said you guys are werewolves? Like real fucking werewolves?”

“Why do you think they call me the …uh… Wolf King.”

Crosby looked at his father in horror. “You told him? You fucking told HIM?”

“I had to Cros. Mr Stone needs to know what we’re dealing with.”

“What you’re dealing with? You’re telling me that Detroit are something too? Is the whole city run by fucking werewolves?”

Crosby growled, a growl Manfred realised was very much like that of the husky from outside.

“Vampires.” Orian corrected the arms dealer. “Detroit consists of …uh… vampires.”

“Oh great.” Manny rolled his eyes. He really hadn’t anticipated this when he was on the way from the airport.  “Werewolves. Vampires. What else is crawling around in the fucking shadows of LA.” He paused. “And what makes you think I’m gonna get involved with this shit.”

“Because-” Orian began, before he was interrupted by his son. Crosby gave a bark and transformed. His body morphing into that of a canine until the husky-like wolf form from before was stood on the polished marble tiles.

“Because I’ll fucking tear you to shreds,” Crosby snarled, finishing his father’s sentence and baring his fangs at Manny.

“JESUS CHRIST,” Manny jumped up onto the sofa and clambered onto the back, trying to get as far away from the rabid wolf.

“Because,” Orian repeated, stepping between his son and the arms dealer. “Because you were at the …uh… the Artemis the night that the attempt was made on my life. We were wondering if you had any extra information that may be, you know, useful.”

“Why would I have any extra information? It sounds like you know everything that fucking went down… wait…” His eyes widened in fear, further than they were before. “You fucking killed the Parisian bitch didn’t you!”

“Her implant captured the whole thing,” Orian replied “much to the …uh… the disappointment of Detroit. I was heavily sedated, but I had just enough energy to transform before she could send me down the river. Ripped her to shreds before I passed out. Poor Jeany had such a mess to clean up. She would’ve revoked my membership if I didn’t own the place.”  

“I would’ve ripped her fucking face off if she -.”

“Yes Cros,” Orian interrupted his son’s angry barks. “But she didn’t. And if you’ll remember, I …uh… I bought you a membership after that, so you don’t trash the place again.”

Crosby sat, and his ears drooped, his words came out as a grumble. “Nobody was fucking telling me what was going on. I thought you had fucking died. Okey?”

“You’re too fucking soft, Crosby” Orian patted his son’s furry head before returning to the conversation with Manfred. “Also, we need to make a purchase of a lot of weapons. Guns, with the ability to shoot …uh… silver.”

“Silver?” Manfred blurted. “What are you stupid or something? You’ll never get something that’d shoot silver bullets. Not in this fucking country anyway.”

“And that’s the precise reason we need your assistance. You’ll be able to …uh… have them imported.”

“Okey let me get this straight.” Manfred rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. “You’re fucking werewolves, Detroit are vampires, and you want me to import arms which can shoot silver bullets? I wish I had stayed in fucking Cancun. LA sounds like more of a nightmare now than before I left.”

“You better fucking comply with my father,” Crosby growled from the floor. “Because now that you know our secret he owns you.”

“Alright, alright.” Manny threw up his arms in defence. “Give me a week. I’ll make some calls. I hope you’re gonna compensate me enough for dragging me into your fucking mess.”

“Of course.” Orian pulled a black brief case from under his sofa and slide it towards Manny. It bumped into Crosby’s furry side and he grumbled in bother. Manfred nervously leant down, shaking fingers reaching for the brief case. Crosby snapped at his hand to frighten him and Manny jumped back, glaring at the Wolf King.

“Can’t your son just give me a fucking minutes peace, so I can get the fuck outta here.”

Orian glanced at Crosby. “C’mon kiddo. Run along. Manfred isn’t going to hurt me you don’t have to protect me every second of the day.”

Crosby whined and stood up before transforming back into his human form and turning to Manny. “If you hurt him I’ll fucking kill you. Understand?”

Manfred nodded, watching a bead of sweat slide down Crosby’s neck, leaving a streak on his Malibu mob wolf tattoo.  “Look son, I don’t know what your fucking problem is, but I haven’t even got any arms on me right now. I told you already, fucking airport security swiped it.”

“Besides,” Orian added. “Do you really think I can’t handle a small man like Manny?”

Manfred looked at Orian in betrayal, his masculinity tarnished by a simple sentence, before he turned his attention back to Crosby. “Yeah… uh… yeah what he fucking said,” he admitted.

“Hmm,” Crosby narrowed his eyes and kept his gaze on Manfred as he left the room.

“Now,” Orian returned to their original conversation “The silver bullets.”

The arms dealer rolled his eyes and muttered to himself. “I’m gonna need some fucking crack to deal with all this shit.”   


	3. Chapter 3

**Los Angeles, September 1 st, 2028.  A week since Manfred discovered the Franklin’s dark secret.**

“Sir I can’t hear you, would you mind going somewhere quieter-”

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do,” Manny screamed into his holographic cell phone. He was sat in a velvet armchair in a dark club, loud music blasting in the background. A bottle of open champagne bubbled besides Manny’s foot and several half-filled glasses stood on table between the lines of cocaine and hundred-dollar bills. On one arm of the chair a tall blonde girl perches, her arm around Manfred’s shoulders, while on the opposite arm a short black-haired twink seductively stroked the exposed part of Manny’s chest.

“Sir, I need to know your location. Dennis is on his way to pick you up.”

“Then use the GPS on my phone. Surely you can fucking look it up.”

“Sir, I-”

“WHY HAVE YOU GOT TO BE SUCH A FUCKING LITTLE PRICK ALL THE TIME?” Crosby Franklin interrupted the speaker, barking down the phone at Manfred. “If Dennis can’t come and pick you up my dad isn’t going to be fucking happy. Understand?”

“Oh not you again.” Manny rolled his eyes. “Look kid. I don’t a fucking shit okey. Where the fuck am I being taken anyway? I’ve got the fucking shit. Bullets and all. Why can’t you just come and meet me at the club.”

“You think it’d fucking safe for us to meet you in some fucking strip club, you stupid little man.” Crosby growled back.

“Ugh.” Manny rose from his chair in annoyance, nearly knocking the twink from his perch. “Sorry, parties fucking over.” He swiped his bag from the floor and headed for the door of the club, checking his suit pocket for his wallet. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again. Once he was outside he skirted through the half dressed, drunken people of the night into a backstreet. “Can you fucking hear me now?” He screeched into his phone, unimpressed at having to subject himself to the filth of the backstreet.

“I can hear you clearly now sir,” The original voice had returned. “I’m just reading your GPS on your phone. Dennis is on his way, he will be five minutes.”

“Five minutes?” Manny complained. “You made me leave the fucking club and now I’ve gotta stand in the fucking street. What if I get attacked?”

But there was no answer. The speaker hung up and left Manny speaking to a quiet, unlit phone. “Oh yeah fucking hang up me, you ignorant piece of shit,” Manfred huffed sarcastically as he shoved his phone in his jacket pocket with his wallet and crouched to check the precious contents of his Louis Vuitton. Specialised weapons designed with the sole purpose of firing the 24 protectively packed silver bullets. Manny felt a little uneasy examining the arms so once he had assured himself that everything the Franklins had ordered were in his bag he pulled the zip tight, concealing the arms away.

 Moments later Dennis arrived, and Manfred pulled open the door before throwing himself inside. “Where the fuck are we going anyway?” He demanded.

“Downtown,” Dennis replied simply, not taking his eyes from the road as he sped off away from the backstreet, the gutter rats squeaking in fright at the noise of the wheels on the road. All except one.

“So what are we meeting with Orian or something? You fucking werewolves like to keep things quiet don’t you.”

“There’s a reason for that,” Dennis barked, causing Manny to jump in his seat. “No. The Wolf King won’t be there. It is too dangerous for him.”

“Then why the fuck was all this necessary?” Manny grumbled, pulling a clear bag of white powder from his trouser pocket and emptying it on the unfolded table in front of him. “I was having a good time for the first time in fucking months and you had to drag me away from all that shit.”

“It wasn’t safe in there. We’re meeting with the rest of the pack. Mike will take it from there.”

“Right. Sure. As long as it gets over with quickly so I can get the fuck back to Mexico. LA has gone to shit, I don’t understand why you people still fucking live here.” Manny grumbled, taking out his new bank card and a business card he’d swiped from one of his friends in the club. He precisely cut his cocaine into neat lines before snorting them up with a satisfied purr. 

Dennis caught a glimpse of Manfred through the rear-view mirror as he checked to make sure the other drivers of the mob had joined the entourage, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort to scold the drugged-up arms dealer. “I assume you have everything The Wolf King asked for?” Dennis questioned him.

“Down to the last fucking bullet.” Manny coughed before taking another snort. “What’s silver gonna do anyway?”

“Silver works as a toxin for most supernatural creatures. Werewolves, vampires, you name it. It’s perfectly safe to touch for us, but once it gets into our blood stream we’re fucked.”

“Well that’s fucking stupid can’t you just kill them with a stake or some crap? Why’d you need this dodgy foreign made shit?”

“Because,” Dennis rolled his eyes, already tired of having to baby sit Manny while he drove to the meet up location. “Even if it’s not a fatal shot, we can still take those dirty blood suckers down.”

“What if they get hold of similar weapons too? I mean, they’re pretty fucking powerful too. I highly fucking doubt that they’re just sitting at home hoping the Malibu mob isn’t coming looking for them.”

“That’s a chance we have to take.” Dennis replied, unsure about how much information he should be allowed to disclose. “But with the assassination attempt last month we cannot wait any longer, or let Detroit become more powerful.”

“Well lets just fucking hope so then.” Manny huffed, settling back in his seat. “So, what’s with all this supernatural shit anyway? Tell me, are you guys like bound by the fucking moon or something? The vampires are they susceptible to all the crap the stories say?”

“We’re not bound by the fucking moon, you disrespectful little cun-!” The voice of Crosby growled through the car’s speakers but was cut off by Dennis putting him on mute. Manny hadn’t realised that Dennis had voice recordings in the car and that Crosby was listening in, but Dennis had decided that it was better for the wolf heir not to get involved, at least until they got to their meet-up location.

“Hey are you sure you should’ve done that? That wolf pup’s gonna be pretty fucking angry if he finds out that you muted him.”

“Crosby can manage.” Dennis spoke, unphased. “He’ll be meeting with us momentarily.”

“Are you kidding me?” Manny sighed. “He’s coming here?”

“Cros does what he likes.” Dennis replied. “There’s nothing we, or his father, can do to stop him.”

“That kid needs a fucking holiday otherwise he’s gonna get himself killed.” Manfred rolled his eyes before rubbing them beneath his glasses. He felt the now fully healed scars which ran over his damaged eye and shuddered slightly.

“Yeah,” Dennis agreed as he parked the car. Manny looked out of the window to find themselves on the roof of an abandoned car park, surrounded by burnt out buildings.

“Shit,” Manny exclaimed. “Those people really made a fucking mess didn’t they. Who even gave them fucking rocket launchers anyway?”

Dennis ignored him as he examined the number plates of the six other identical cars which had parked around him. Once he was satisfied that they all belonged to members of the mob he stepped out. “Stay in the car.” He ordered Manny before shutting the door to meet with the others.

“Oh yeah?” He called after him. “I’ll just fucking sit here while you have your mother’s meeting.”

It wasn’t long before the car park was filled with men. Big, muscular, sometimes hairy guys dressed entirely in black. The Malibu mob. Manfred stared; before he wouldn’t have been phased, but now knowing that every single one of them was a werewolf, he felt uncomfortable. There must have been around two dozen men stood waiting as another black car rolled up and out stepped the tall, but scrawnier wolf heir, and his bald right-hand man Trojan.

“Where is he? Where’s the guy?” Crosby snapped at Dennis the moment he stepped out of the car.

“He’s still in the car.” Dennis replied without a flinch.

Crosby turned to Trojan, his brow dipped in irritation. “Well go fucking get him then we haven’t got all night.”

Trojan nodded and approached the car in which Manny waited. He opened the door and indicated for the arms dealer to step out, before pulling a face of disgust as the sharp, pungent scent of Manny’s aftershave hit his nostrils.

“Too fucking strong for you?” Manny questioned him as he stepped out, grabbing the handles of his bag. “You don’t even look hairy enough to be a fucking wolf.”

Trojan’s lip twitched slightly, as if he intended to snarl, but he managed to remain calm and led Manfred over to the pack. Manny watched them nervously, each pair of wolfish eyes staring into his head until he was face to face with Crosby.

“Hand them over.” Crosby demanded the second Manny was close enough.

“Now wait a fucking minute!” Manny protested. “You wanna check them out first? Make sure these pieces of crap are what your daddy asked for?”

Crosby glared at him for a second before turning to who Manfred assumed was Mike. “He’s right. Search the bag. Make sure everything my dad ordered is in there.”

Mike stepped forwards to take the bag from Manny.

“You gonna take the arms outta the bag, right?” He enquired, reluctant to hand over his Louis Vuitton.  “I really fucking like this bag. Haven’t you got something else to put them in?”

“Give him the fucking bag.” Crosby growled through clenched teeth, to which Manfred defencelessly complied.

Mike undid the zipper of the bag and took out a couple glocks and a folded machine gun and passed them to Crosby. “Seems like everything’s here-” He stopped suddenly, his face frozen in concentration.

“What?” Crosby barked. “What is it what’s wrong?”

Mike sniffed. “You shouldn’t have brought him here.”

“What? You brought me all the way out here into fucking god knows where and now you’re saying that you-”

“SHUT UP,” Crosby snapped before sniffing the air too. His face suddenly twisted from anger to fear. “GET HIM IN THE CAR! NOW!”

“What?” He protested but before he was escorted to safety a swarm of bats descended on the pack. Manfred watched in horror as one by one, each bat transformed into a man and began attacking the mob. The wolves wasted no time in defending themselves. Each man shifted effortless into giant wolves, at least twice the size of regular wolves. The smallest wolf of the pack was Crosby. Each wolf snarled and snapped at their vampire attackers as Manny fled in fear.

He scrambled down the stairs and out of the car park into a backstreet. Panting, he leant on the rusting ladders of a disused fire escape and clawed out his phone. With one swift press of the button the phone burst to life, projecting the cone of light in Manny’s face. Studying the holographic shapes, he was suddenly interrupted by the noise of something rustling in the pile of garbage besides him.

Manfred froze. He squinted through his glasses at the garbage, feeling sweat run down his forehead. At first, he couldn’t make out anything, but as his good eye adjusted to the light he began to see things more clearly. There was nothing there except garbage. He breathed a sigh of relief before being taken by surprise by an unanticipated rat scurrying out of the pile. It caused him to yell in fright, but upon realising that it was just a harmless sewer rat Manny grumbled to himself. “Fucking LA. I need to get outta here.”

However, unknown to him the rat was watching him from behind. It sniffed the air, wrinkling its nose in disgust at Manny’s aftershave before silently shifting from the scrawny creature into a man hidden in the shadows.

He moved swiftly. Silently. Until he stood, looming above the small, unsuspecting arms dealer squinting into the light.

By the time Manny realised something was wrong it was too late. The vampire grabbed him from behind, one hand on his shoulder, the other clenched tightly in his hair. Manny screamed, trashing out, trying desperately to be free of his unseen attacker. But the vampire was much larger than he and conquered Manfred with ease. With a sharp flick of the wrist the man yanked Manny’s head to the side, exposing his neck.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” Manny flapped helplessly, but his pleas were ill-fated.

“Tell Orian Franklin that this is from Detroit.” The vampire rasped in Manny’s ears before piercing his fangs into the soft flesh of his neck. Manfred screamed, his cries becoming helpless whimpers within seconds as a burning pain began to sear from the bite wound. He closed his eyes, pleading for a quick death, but his attacker had other plans. The vampire only had his fangs in the arms dealer’s neck for a few seconds, but to Manny it felt like forever.

Once free from the vampire’s fangs, Manfred dropped to the ground in agony. Every part of his body burned; he could feel his warm blood beginning to trickle down his neck, staining the white satin of his shirt and instantly pressed a shaking hand to the open wound.

Using every last bit of energy he had left, Manny hauled himself up off the ground, grabbed his phone, and fled. Staggering out of the backstreet into the brighter, well-lit LA streets. He glanced back at the side street, hoping to catch a glimpse of his attacker, but the vampire had already left the scene. Flown away as a bat to join the rest of the Detroit vampires in the fight on the roof.  

As he ran Manny flipped out the hologram on his phone once more, this time bringing up a map of downtown LA. He almost couldn’t believe his luck as he realised he was only two blocks from the Artemis and so using all his strength he limped in agony through the deserted streets until he had arrived at the door to the Artemis. He just about managed to drag himself into the elevator and remain conscious as it rose the twelve floors to the penthouse in which the Nurse still slaved away.

The moment the elevator doors opened Manfred flopped out into the lobby and hauled himself to the scanner. On the other side of the gate the old Nurse stood observing. She didn’t need to remind Manny what to do as the moment he scanned his wrist he collapsed on the floor, convulsing in pain.

The last thing he heard before passing out was a deep sigh from the Nurse. “Oh fuck. Not you again. EVEREST!”


	4. Chapter 4

Cold. Manny felt cold, unbelievably cold. But he couldn’t shiver because every twitch made his skin burn. Awaking from unconsciousness, Manny felt groggy and tired. He’d never been in so much pain before. Every inch of his skin felt like it was on fire, despite the growing chill he felt in his bones, and his jaws ached.

“ _Patient regaining consciousness_ ,” an automated voice spoke from somewhere.

Slowly blinking awake, vision came into focus in Manny’s good eye, while his injured eye remained blurry. He wasn’t wearing his glasses. Nervously he looked around to find himself in a comfortable, if run-down, suite of the Hotel Artemis. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he was safe before taking in his surroundings.

Manfred lay on the hospital bed, surrounded by the complex machinery of the suite. A morphine drip was pressed into the vein in the nook of his arm and he found that someone had changed him into a hospital gown. 

Then out of the corner of his good eye he noticed the mural of the room, dimly lit by a desk lamp. Turning painfully, he squinted at the mural’s long, painted vines which partially covered a lush green coastal setting. He didn’t recognise the suite, but he knew for a fact that he wasn’t in the Acapulco suite. 

Moments later the lock of the suite door clicked and in walked The Nurse, still as old and bedraggled as he remembered.

“Ah, you’re awake.” She shuffled over to the medicine cabinet and took out a couple of tubs. Manny painfully followed her movements with his gaze “How’re you feeling, Mr Nice?”

“Okey, shut up with that crap, I-” He face fell. “What the fuck did you just call me?”

“You know how this place works,” She spoke, not taking her eyes from the tub label.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He complained irately. “You take me in and you fucking put me in this suite? Do you even remember what happened last month? Do you know how much fucking trauma that fucking French bitch put me through?”

 “Sorry buddy,” She walked over, her face giving away her failed attempts at trying to forget the nightmare Manny and the other guests had subjected The Nurse to only the month before. “You know the rules of this place. First come, first serve. This suite was empty.”

“There’s someone in my fucking suite? Oh, that’s just fucking brilliant isn’t it. I wind up in here, there’s someone in my fucking room, and-” He winced in pain. “What the fuck is going on anyway?” he whined. “Every inch of my skin feels like it’s on fire and I’m pretty sure my jaw is about to fucking fall off.”

“Always the exaggerator.” The Nurse didn’t even blink at his foul mouth as she studied the screen behind Manny. “I better turn up those nanites. Looks like they’re barely helping.” The Nurse twisted the dial on Manny’s armband and he felt the nanites increase.

“Ah fuck.” He cursed as he felt them swarm around his neck. Lifting a hand, he went to press his fingers to the open wound before The Nurse stopped him. “I wouldn’t do that. I haven’t closed that yet and you need those nanites to heal up that bite wound, otherwise you’ll be fighting off infection as well.”

“As well?” Manny questioned. “Just fucking tell me what’s happening to me.”

“You’re turning.” She replied bluntly. “You went and got yourself bit didn’t you. So now I’ve got to deal with you turning in my hospital. Be grateful I let you in, Everest was not happy.”

“Turning? You mean like into a fucking vampire?” He interrogated sarcastically with a small laugh before his face dropped again and the reality hit him like a train. “I’m turning into a fucking vampire?!”

The Nurse grimaced and looked down at her tablet momentarily before meeting Manny’s eyes again. “I’m afraid so.”

Manfred almost couldn’t believe the horror as he realised his fate. “Is there not a way to stop it? I don’t know, suck the venom or whatever out of my blood with one of your fancy fucking machines. I don’t care.  Just make it stop.”

“It’s too late for that Mr Nice.” She replied gravely. “If you had arrived earlier there I might have been able to stop the transformation. But by the time you arrived the venom had already filled your blood stream and started the transformation.”

“I fucking pay you lady, just make it stop.” Manny groaned as a wave of hot pain flushed through his body, reducing him to whimpers. “Or at least just get me outta this fucking suite.”

“You can leave the suite in an hour or so when you can move,” She replied, popping open a tub of pills and pouring two into the palm of her hand. “But you’ll need to stay in the Artemis until you’re fully transformed.”

“Well how long is that gonna take?” He muttered as The Nurse held the tablets to his lips. He swallowed them effortless before finishing his sentence. “Because I’d really like to get on the next flight back to Mexico. I’ve had it with LA. I never should’ve fucking agreed to come back.”

“Sorry buster.” She frowned “You’ll be in for a while. A week or two, depending on how you fair. But when you’re fully turned you won’t want to go outside during the day, especially not in Mexico.”

As she spoke her tablet began to ring. An incoming call. She turned to leave so that she could take the call, but Manfred stopped her.

“Hey hey!” He shouted. “What’s the supposed to mean?”

“No more sunlight for you I’m afraid.” She replied, flipping open the case of her tablet. “I’m sorry, I have to take this.” She swiped the screen to take the call and swiftly exited the room before Manfred could stop her again.

Once The Nurse was out of the room Manfred sighed and sat himself up best he could before trying to see whether any entertainment was available. However, unfortunately for him Everest had been far too busy over the last month making repairs to the damage in the hotel’s dilapidated lobby to find time to fix the exploded TV in the Nice suite. Manny grumbled to himself and decided all he could do was rest. Closing his eyes, he listened to the noise of the machinery in the suite as he contemplated switching them all off and pulling a 3D printed glock on his head. Death, he thought, would be much better than living as a blood sucking monster who was bound by the night. But then he remembered that the bank robber had stolen his favourite toy, the printer card disguised as a playing card, so even if he wanted to, he couldn’t shoot himself. Defeated, Manfred instead felt himself well up with tears and began silently crying. Tears which he had denied himself from shedding for so long. But in the company of only himself, he knocked down the walls of toxic masculinity he had built for himself and cried.

*

**Three hours later**

Manfred awoke from his unexpected nap with momentary panic as his brain struggled to remember where he was. But as his eyes hastily swept the Nice suite he began to calm in seconds. He was safe. The nap had done him a world of good, he felt a lot more alert and the pain seemed to have decreased. Although, he thought, that might just have been the pain killers and nanites swimming around in his blood stream.

He noticed that the morphine drip had been removed from his arm, and a hotel dressing gown had been hung thoughtfully from a hook near the door. “Fucking Nurse thinking she can put me in this fucking suite.” He grumbled to himself as he swung his legs off the bed and hopped onto the floor. The first couple of steps were filled with blinding pain as his skin struggled to adapt to movement after being subjected to the stiffening effects of the venom in his system, but by the time he reached the other side of the room the pain in his skin had subsided slightly. Despite this, he realised that the pain in his jaws had increased and he could only imagine what agony he would be in if he hadn’t been numbed down by the pain killer.

Dragging on the hotel robe, he found his glasses neatly placed on the adjacent table with a pair of slippers and several complimentary water bottles. With shaking hands, he rubbed his glasses on his robe to clean the smudged lenses before pulling them onto his face; to his relief the room became less blurry.

Taking a large swig from one of the water bottles he made his way over to the mirror to check the damage. A precise bandage obscured the bite wounds on Manny’s neck, but through the white fabric a small amount of blood had soaked through. Now that the wound was covered he lightly pressed his hand onto his neck and immediately regretted the decision. Searing pain exploded from the touch; it felt more like a gunshot wound. “Fuck.” He hissed, instantly removing his hand before shuffling across the room to check out of the window.

LA was quiet. No explosions. No helicopters falling from the skies. No rioters on the streets. It felt very different to the last time he was in the Artemis. Peaceful. Manny stared outside for a while, trying to take in the reality that night would be all he ever knew from then on. He sighed, wishing he had never made the deal with the devil. The Wolf King had dragged him into a dark world which he would have felt comfortable in never knowing about. Once he got out of the Artemis, Manny decided, he would to go see Orian and give him a piece of his mind.

Manfred wasn’t stood by the window for long as he soon realised that being in the Nice suite was trigging some unwanted memories. Shuffling back across the room he slipped his feet into the slippers and suddenly realised that his throat was dry. He felt almost dehydrated and his throat ached, so he took the open water bottle, flicked off the lid and downed the whole thing as if it was a cheap bottle of wine.  Slightly satisfied, he stuffed the second bottle into his robe pocket and decided he would go for a wander.

Checking himself in the mirror once more, he quickly ran his fingers through his hair to make it less of a complete mess, before swiping the suite key from the table and took off to the game room.

Manny skirted quickly through the hotel corridors, but his journey was interrupted by the man mountain himself in the hotel lobby.

“Look I don’t want any trouble.” Manny held up his hands in defence.

“You’re lucky The Nurse didn’t revoke your membership.” Everest spoke gruffly. “If it were up to me I would’ve taken away all of your privileges after what you caused.”

“Excuse me?” Manny squawked at him. “You think you’re all high and mighty because you’re a fucking ‘health care professional’ or whatever, but you’re just a fucking glorified bouncer.”

“Watch your mouth Mr Nice.” Everest replied coldly. “Because you on thin ice. One wrong move and your membership is revoked and you’re out on the street. You see that over there.” He pointed a large finger at the gate entrance and cage. Manny hadn’t realised when he walked in the previous night that the lobby was much different from what he remembered. Same scanning system, but the walls had been completely rebuilt, re-plastered, and re-wallpapered, and a brand new, much sturdier gate had been installed. “It’s taken me a month to rebuild that mess after the shit you and the others put me through, so unless you want to finish your transformation out there, I would be on your best behaviour.”

Manny scowled. “Alright.” He licked his lips in defeat. “Just give me a fucking break okey? As long as you haven’t let any assassin bitches in this time I think we’re going to be just fine.” He pushed past Everest and continued to the games room, but Everest hadn’t finished.

“Well Mr Nice, perhaps you should keep yourself to yourself this time.”

“Yeah whatever.” Manfred ignored him and continued down the corridor. As he approached the game room his ears picked up the sound of pained howls from the Niagara suite. “Oh great _”_ he muttered to himself upon realisation. Crosby Franklin was being treated in there.   

Opposite the door to the Niagara suite, Manny took a sharp left turn into the game room and immediately headed to the coffee pot.

“ _Four cups remaining_.” The coffee pot droned as Manfred took the jug and filled up a mug. He took a mouthful of the warm brown liquid to satisfy his ever-growing thirst before returning the pot to its stand and wandering across the room to the sofa where he found a very short, ginger-haired woman watching the TV.

Manny coughed as he snuggled himself into the arm chair besides the TV, taking notice of the gaping hole in the wood where the broken piece of coffee cup had previously been imbedded.

“Hey,” The girl spoke in a friendly tone. “You must be Nice.”

 “It’s pronounced ‘neese’” Manny snapped, realising she’d pronounced it wrong, before remembering the identical sentence that Elodie replied with the last time he was there. He shuddered in anger. “And who the fuck are you?” He interrogated, covering up his sudden anxiety with anger.

“Acapulco.” She smiled, holding out a hand, seemingly not afraid of the scarred man.

Manny rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair with a sigh. “So you’re the one who took my fucking room.”

“Your room?” She glared at him, her character suddenly becoming cold. “I don’t think you ‘own’ a room in here sweetheart. From the sounds of it, the staff here, they’d rather you weren’t here at all. What’s with that huh?” She questioned him before her voice became soft, almost mocking him. “Have you been a bad boy?”

Normally Manny would’ve read this wrongly and taken it as a flirtatious advancement but on this occasion, he had other things on his mind. He scowled at her momentarily, before his eyes widened in horror. Seconds later the coffee repeated on him and he threw up all down his robe with a pained groan.

“You’re fucking gross.” Acapulco got up and left as Manny began writhing in his chair, a spasm of pain hitting his nervous system.     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to highlight in this chapter the fact that the code names in the movie aren't directly tied to the characters. That's why I've exclusively referred to 'Acapulco' as Manfred. They only have those code names while they're in the Artemis and once they're out they use their regular names again. I just feel like a lot of people haven't realise this.  
> Therefore, that's why i switched it up a bit and had them in difference suites. And also because I find it hilarious Manny ending up with the code name Nice after what happened in the movie.


	5. Chapter 5

“Nurse?” Everest’s voice crackled over the radio. “We’ve got a uh…” He paused. “Dammit there’s no code name for this. Mr Nice has been sick in the game room and is having some sort of seizure. Do you want me to take him back to his room?”

“No,” The Nurse replied immediately. “Don’t touch him. I’ll be there straight away.” She clipped the radio back to her pocket and grabbed her tablet.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Crosby whined from the bed of the Niagara suite. He was sat up and had small steel bucket perched in his lap. Behind him the screen displayed his monitored heart rate.

His skin was a pale, sickly grey, and his eyes were slightly sunken. Round bite marks dotted his arms and neck, and many more were hidden beneath his hospital gown.

“You’re stable.” The Nurse replied to him calmly. “There are other patients who need me right now.”

“I don’t care about the other patients. I am your one priority. Have you already forgotten what we did last month?”

“Just because your daddy owns this place doesn’t mean you get priority. You know that. How many times have I got to remind you of the rules.” Crosby snarled at her weakly. “Besides,” she continued. “There isn’t any of your pack waiting in the cage and I’m pretty sure there isn’t any damage you can do from here.”

“What if something goes wrong while you’re away?”

“Like what?” She questioned him. “You’ve got a bad stomach and a couple bite wounds. The worst that could happen is that you defecate yourself. I’m sure you’ve got enough brains in there to make it to the toilet if you think that’s going to happen.”

Crosby grumbled and leant over the bucket as he felt another wave of sickness flush over him. “I’ll be back soon.” She checked the tablet screen before shuffling off out of the Niagara suite into the adjacent game room where she was met with Everest.

Manny had stopped spasming and was slumped in the arm chair groaning softly. A thin trail of runny vomit, stained brown by the coffee ran down his chin and soaked his robes. The Nurse sighed and looked at Everest. “Get me a chair. He’s safe to go back to his room now.”

“Yes Nurse.” Everest replied, immediately heading for the store room. While he left The Nurse checked Manfred. She tapped his face lightly, to which he jolted alert with a screech.

“I probably should’ve told you.” The Nurse dabbed at his chin with a cloth. “You shouldn’t eat or drink anything. Not during the first 24 hours at least.”

“Oh yeah? I bet you purposefully didn’t tell me so that I’d make a fool of myself in front of the lady.”

“Lady? You mean Miss Acapulco?”

“Yeah you know who I’m fucking on about.”

“You really shouldn’t try to have that attitude with every woman you see. I thought that after the trouble it got you in before you’d have learnt your lesson by now.” The Nurse dabbed at his chin. “Besides, do you really think I wouldn’t have told you on purpose? Would’ve made my job a whole lot easier if I had. I’ve got two assholes in here tonight spouting curses at me every other second. You and Niagara. And you’re both from that night.” The Nurse’s eyes glazed over slightly as the words escaped her lips. For a moment she became silent, staring off at the window behind Manny as her mind brought back up the trauma she had endured when she discovered the truth about Beau.  

“Nurse?” Everest had returned with a chair and brought her out of her flashback by placing a large hand on her tiny shoulder. “Are you okey?”

“Yes…” The Nurse blinked. “I’m fine. I just… You know how it’s been.”

“I know.” He replied, kneeling by her. “But you’re doing so well now that you know the truth.”

“I know big man.” The Nurse sniffed in reply, returning the pat to his shoulder. “You’re helping me so much.” She smiled sweetly at her mountain of a best friend before Manny groaned from the chair. “Come on,” She wiped her eyes. “Better get him back to his suite before he makes any more mess for you to clean up.”

Everest nodded and wheeled the chair closer to Manny before lifting him up with ease. The Nurse followed behind them as Everest wheeled the drowsy arms dealer back to his suite.

Meanwhile, in the Niagara suite Crosby was busy vomiting into the bucket, groaning to himself. He had been lucky in the scrap with Detroit and didn’t sustain any serious injuries. The same couldn’t be said for other members of the mob.

Crosby would have avoided a stay at the Artemis, had his arrogance and foolishness not got the better of him. Werewolves, as he knew, should not consume vampire flesh or blood. It makes them ill with severe food poisoning-like symptoms. But in the heat of the scrap Trojan had found Crosby chewing on a severed arm. Immediately he had transformed back to his human form and pulled the Wolf King’s son from the fight. Crosby had squirmed and initially refused to be removed from the fray, but with some consideration he realised his mistake and ordered Trojan to notify The Nurse that he would be arriving imminently.

But now, several hours later, Crosby was alone. Unlike the night that Orian had received treatment, Crosby wasn’t followed by an entourage; After ensuring the wolf heir had checked in, Trojan had returned to the Franklin’s household to inform his boss of what had happened.

He whined, wiping his mouth with the towel placed around his neck before sliding his body around to hang his legs off the edge of the bed. He placed the sick bucket on the freed space of the bed and rubbed his face before hopping onto the floor with a grunt. Crosby crossed the suite and stared at his face in the small mirror above the suite’s wash basin. He barely recognised himself. Normally proud, scowling wolf, he had been reduced to a nauseating mess. He pulled down the soft flesh of one eye to assess his blood shot pupil before checking the bites on his neck. Two on his tattoo and one which only just missed his vital arteries.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He examined the damage to his tattoo, realising that the bites would scar, and his neck would be ruined for good. Crosby would’ve punched something in anger, if his nausea hadn’t taken hold again. He contemplated running to his bucket but luckily his stomach settled before he could empty it all over his hospital gown.

Suddenly, a ringing echoed through the suite. Crosby shuffled himself towards the window and settled himself into the chair beneath the Niagara mural where he found his phone buzzing on the table.

“What the fuck do you want?” Crosby answered, painfully lifting the smart phone to his ear.

“Your old man wants to speak to you.” Trojan’s voice rasped down the line.

“You told him?” Crosby barked in reply, suddenly cripplingly embarrassed. “You told my fucking dad that I was in here?”

“He asked where you were. We lost half the pack tonight he needed to know that his son was safe.”

“Alright whatever just put him on.” Crosby snapped down the phone. While he waited in silence for Trojan to pass the phone to his father he wiped a hand across his brow, feeling it come back slick with sweat.  

“Oh Cros.” Orian’s soft voice spoke sympathetically down the phone. “You must be grateful that I bought you a membership for that place. I bet Jeany wasn’t happy letting you in.”

“The old lady knew she didn’t have a choice. What do you want anyway?”

Orian paused fleetingly “We lost them Crosby.”  

“I know dad I tried-”

“No… kiddo.” Orian sighed. “We lost the …uh… the guns. Detroit took most of them.”

Crosby suddenly realised the seriousness of the situation. “I’ll fucking kill him.” He barked through clenched teeth. “I’ll rip his fucking throat out. If he hadn’t run his mouth and worn that offensive cologne they wouldn’t have known anything.”

“Crosby.” Orian suddenly snapped. “You cannot place the blame on everyone else all the time. You oversaw the mob tonight. Their deaths are on your hands.”

“Dad… I,” Crosby protested. “It would have been fine if you hadn’t fucking requested that he come personally.”

“Mr Stone sustained irreparable injuries tonight. Jean contacted me after you arrived. She has her work cut out for her tonight.”

“What do you mean?” Crosby coughed.

“Well let’s just say…uh… that she has a werewolf and the vampire being treated tonight.”

Crosby’s eyes widened as he felt another wave of nausea consume him. He threw his phone on the chair and ran for his bucket, reaching it just in time. He heaved into the bucket, but barely anything came up.  

“Cros?” Orian’s voice spoke through the phone when his son failed to reply.

With a groan Crosby returned to his phone. “He’s a vampire?”

“I’m afraid so. We have a …uh… a real problem on our hands. Detroit have our weapons, Manfred has been turned. It isn’t safe for us in LA.”

“It’s only a matter of time before they plan another attack.” Crosby replied, suddenly terrified for his father. He’d already faced the prospect of losing him once before. He couldn’t do it again.

“Yes…”

“Dad…” Crosby hesitated. “I will do all I can.”

“I know… uh… kiddo.” Orian replied. “But promise me you won’t embarrass me like you …uh… did last time.”

“I won’t dad.” Crosby’s voice was weak. He could feel a headache coming on. “As soon as the lady lets me out I’ll come home. I won’t let them put a bullet in you. As for the arms dealer, I’ll rip out his fucking heart-”

“You won’t lay a finger on him.” Orian spoke smoothly. “We need him more than ever. His transformation may turn out to be …. uh… valuable.”

“Dad what are you on about? He’s a fucking vampire. We can’t let him live, Detroit will come looking for him. If they find him in here it’ll lead them straight to me.”

“Detroit won’t try something like that again. They know that sending an …uh… assassin in here is going to cause trouble. Plus, Jeany has upped security. All of the memberships have been assessed. A load of people have …uh… had their memberships revoked. The Artemis is much safer than it was before.”

“As long as you’re sure.” Crosby exhaled. “She put me in your suite.”

“Good. The Niagara suite is well equipped…. Although… uh… I mean there’s no need for it… especially as you only have a bad stomach.”

“He told you?” Crosby snapped, making a mental note to knock the shit out of Trojan when he got out.

“You’re a fucking idiot, Cros.” Orian replied.

“I know okey you don’t have to fucking remind me.”

“Just keep your arms off Manfred kiddo… unless you want Detroit sucking your… uh… ass.”    

“Fine.” Crosby grumbled. “I won’t touch him. But if he tries anything I can’t promise I won’t snap. It’s bad enough the fucking bitch treating me like a child.”

“Then don’t …uh… act like one.” Orian paused. “I will be safe until you come home. We’ve upped security. Detroit isn’t getting to me while I’m …uh… at home.”

Crosby nodded, even though his father couldn’t see him. “I’ll be home soon.”

“Be good Cros.” Orian warned his son before hanging up, leaving Crosby sat in silence below the powerful waterfall. He picked up the remote for the TV and switched it on, only to be met with a blank screen of static.

He sat staring at the static for a few seconds before the lock of the suite door clicked open and in shuffled The Nurse.

“What sort of service do you run in this fucking place? The TV isn’t working.”

“I’m sorry kid.” The Nurse crossed the room. “But Everest has had a lot of other things to deal with since you tried to tear this place down.”

Crosby scowled. “Well tell him to fucking get on with it or I’ll bite off his fucking arms.”

The Nurse raised an eyebrow at his threats. “And that would get your membership revoked. I don’t care if you’re the Wolf King’s son. I couldn’t revoke his membership, but I can definitely revoke yours.” She took the TV remote from Crosby’s hand and switched off the crackling screen before throwing a bottle of water into his lap. “Drink.” She indicated to it. “Tonic water. It’ll ease your stomach.”


	6. Chapter 6

**The Hotel Artemis, Los Angeles, September 4 th, 2028. Two days since Manfred and Crosby were admitted. **

“The nanites have done a perfect job and your stitches are holding well. You’re free to go.” The Nurse finished checking the wound on Acapulco’s side. She had been resting in the game room, watching some boring old daytime TV show drone on when The Nurse had come in to check on her. “Don’t be getting into any more fights.” She pointed with a smile.

“I won’t.” Acapulco laughed. “Or at least not until this is healed.”

The Nurse patted her shoulder. “Make sure you get some juice off Everest before you go.”

“I will. Thanks Nurse.”

The Nurse’s tablet buzzed. She lifted the case to be greeted with an alert from the Honolulu suite. A code red had come in earlier that day riddled with bullet holes and was in being treated for severe internal bleeding. “Everest, see to Miss Acapulco before coming to meet me in Honolulu.”

“Yes Nurse.” Everest’s voice crackled through the Nurse’s radio as she scurried hastily out of the game room. Moments later another Artemis guest snuck into the game room. Unseen and unheard.

Crosby padded through the door and made for the coffee bar. He had shifted into his wolf form and he looked much healthier than he had two days before. His stomach had settled and the nanites in his system had healed any bites he had sustained. Now his fur was glossy once more and in human form his skin no longer looked sickly. Crosby assumed The Nurse would discharge him later that day, so he only had a short while to fully examine the Artemis.

Sniffing, he trotted around the coffee bar. The last time Crosby had been here he hadn’t had a chance to fully familiarise himself with the hospital his father owned. He had headed straight to the Niagara suite to find his dad alive, but unconscious, before being thrown out by the hulky orderly. This time he lapped at the opportunity to check out the place that he would eventually inherit.

Nose to floor, Crosby skirted around the back wall towards the window, unaware of Acapulco watching him.

“Hello little fella.” She gasped. Crosby immediately lifted his nose in horror before realising he wasn’t in danger. Trying to keep his identity hidden he padded across the rug towards the sofa where the discharged patient sat. “Hey there.” Acapulco slipped herself off the sofa as it was far less painful on her stitches and knelt on the floor as Crosby approached. “What’s the old lady doing letting pets in her now?” She patted his head lightly. Crosby watched her, making small delighted ‘awoo’ noises as she petted him. “Oh, who’s a good boy. Who’s a good boyyyy.” Acapulco switched from petting his head to scratching behind his ear.    

Instantly Crosby melted. His tongue lolled out of his mouth as his entire demeanour shifted from proud wolf to dopey dog.

“I wouldn’t touch him if I were you.” A voice grumbled from the doorway. “I’m pretty sure he’s got fucking rabies or something.”

Acapulco turned her head towards the door to see Manny leaning against the door frame. His hotel robes were barely done up, exposing the hairs on his chest and legs, and his hair was gelled back for the first time in days. Crosby promptly became defensive, exposing his teeth in a snarl at the arms dealer.

“Fuck off.” Acapulco hissed at Manny.

Manfred shrugged and headed straight for his chair besides the TV. “Don’t fucking come crying to me if he bites you, sweetheart.”

“What makes you think he’s going to bite me?”

“Because that dirty mutt is the whiny asshole you’ve been hearing in Niagara all fucking week.” Manny stared at the angry wolf.

“What’re you fucking on about?”  

“Go on Cros,” Manny taunted. “She the pretty lady your party trick.”

Crosby growled, lowering his body and started to stalk towards Manny.

“I wouldn’t fucking do that.” He warned Crosby as the wolf heir approached. Crosby refused to heed his warning and continued forwards, eyes locked with Manfred. “Don’t. You. Take. One. More. Furry. Step.”

“Don’t fucking talk to me like that.” Crosby snarled. Acapulco jumped back in shock.

“Did… he… did that dog just fucking talk?”

“Look lady,” Manny took his eyes off Crosby for a moment. “There’s a lot of things I don’t have the fucking time to explain to you but-” In the fleeting seconds that Manny looked away Crosby took the opportunity and pounced.  “Ahh!” Manny fell backwards into the chair as Crosby landing on him, claws bared, and pointed fangs exposed only a few dangerous inches from Manny’s throat.  

However, unknown to Crosby, Manny’s transformation was almost complete. After the initial shock Manny glared up at him, eyes piercing his and teeth bared in a snarl. Unfortunately, Manny’s vampire instincts were slightly ruined by the fact that his human canines had fallen out, leaving two gaps in his teeth where his newest, deadlier weapons had just begun peaking through.

The sight of Manfred’s half exposed fangs caused Crosby to cease his attack and snort at him. “You can’t fucking hurt me.” He laughed, hopping off the chair and shifting back to his human form.

Acapulco’s eyes widened, frozen in horror, as she watched the wolf transform into the son of LA’s most powerful man. Manfred grinned smugly at her and Crosby realised he’d just exposed his secret in front of someone. “FUCK.” He cursed through grated teeth.

“Y…you’re…” Acapulco stared in a mixture of fear and awe.

“Yeah I’m a fucking werewolf.” Crosby snapped before threatening her “and if you tell anyone I’ll fucking rip you apart.”

“I told you he fucking bites.” Manny chirped, a smug grin plastered across his scarred face.

“I’ll fucking kill you.” Crosby turned, throwing himself at Manny. But this time the arms dealer was prepared.

“You aint gonna do shit.” Manny screeched at him, thrusting out an arm and punching Crosby in the throat. The wolf fell backwards onto the floor with a whine.

“Hey, what’s going on in here?” The three of them looked up at the sudden shouting from the door. There the tiny Nurse stood, watching the three patients through tired eyes.

 

“You’re a son of a bitch.” Crosby growled, picking himself off the floor as Manny snuggled himself back into his arm chair.

“How many times do I have to tell you the rules?” The Nurse questioned exhaustedly. “You.” She pointed at Crosby. “You’re peachy. Get out of here.”

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do lady.” Crosby glared at her. “We own you, I decide when I fucking leav-” He was cut off by Everest appearing behind The Nurse, his figure looming in the flickering light of the corridor.

“Check out time.” He rumbled, not taking his gaze from Crosby.

Crosby stared him down for a moment before surrendering with a grunt. “Fine.” He scowled angrily.

“Go on,” The Nurse walked into the room and waved him out of the door. “Get your stuff and go back to your daddy.”

Crosby glared at her as he passed but remained silent, skulking back into the Niagara suite to pick up his possessions before checking out.

“Are you okey?” The Nurse turned to Acapulco who had been stood watching in silence.  

“Y…yeah…” She blinked, trying to process everything. “I think I just… saw some things I probably shouldn’t…” She hesitated. “I… I’m fine… I just wanna go home.”

“Let’s get you outta here.” Everest stepped forward his voice turning friendlier.

“Hey, could you keep it down in here I’m trying to watch the fucking TV.” Manny shrieked. Everyone ignored him.

“C’mon.” Everest spoke to Acapulco as she hurried towards the corridor. Everest followed her out as she checked out, leaving The Nurse to deal with Manny.

“How’re you feeling?” She approached the arms dealer.

“How am I feeling?” Manfred turned towards her, scowling in annoyance. “How am I fucking feeling? I just had your patient try and rip off my fucking face and you ask how I’m feeling.” He rolled his eyes.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okey. Here.” She threw something into Manfred’s lap; It made a sloshing noise. He looked down to find a bag of red liquid resting on his legs.

“What the hell is this?” He eyed The Nurse, confused.

“Breakfast” She encouraged.

Manny scowled, realising what it was. “I aint fucking drinking this?”

“Oh do you wanna die then, moron?” The Nurse replied bluntly. “Drink.”

Manny opened his mouth to protest, but before his words escaped his lips he was reminded of the ever growing burning in his throat. Defeated he snatched the bag from his lap and tore off a corner. The moment the metallic smell of the bag’s content hit his nose he hesitated, feeling a pang of nausea sweep over him.

“Drink.” The Nurse repeated, carefully watching Manny who eyed the bag sceptically. Slowly he brought the torn corner of the bag up to his lips and started to suck. The blood was cold, fresh out of the fridge. Manfred pulled a disgusted face at the first swallow but the moment it soothed his throat he began devouring it ravenously.

The Nurse watched as from the corridor Crosby’s voice could be heard as he checked out. “Just come and fucking pick me up I need to speak to my dad.”

Manny barely even noticed the noise of Crosby abusing Trojan down the phone as he gulped the last drops of blood from the bag. He twitched, eyes wide as if he’d just taken a new high and turned to The Nurse.

“Careful buster.” She warned him. “Don’t let the thirst consume you. You need to keep yourself fed otherwise we’ll have a rabid vampire running around here.”

“Am I going to have drink this shit for the rest of my life?” He wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his robe, focusing on the lingering aftertaste of iron in his throat.

“I’m afraid so.” She sighed with a sympathetic nod.

“You’re fucking kidding me.” Manfred tried to keep up the walls which he had built around his emotions but as he spoke his voice cracked and the walls began to crumble around him. The Nurse had never seen him, Manfred Stone, look so vulnerable. He was broken, exhausted, defeated. “Be straight with me,” He breathed. “How fucked am I?”

“What do you mean?”

“This…” He hesitated, gesturing with a flick of his hand. “This… fucking… transformation… I’m a vampire now, I accept that, but,” he paused as his voice cracked again “What does it mean in terms of my fucking life?”

“Well, for a start,” The Nurse sat herself on the sofa beside Manfred. “You’ll need blood to survive. You can still eat and drink normal food, but without blood you’ll starve.”

Manny nodded.

“And you won’t be able to go in the sunlight.”

“At all?” He moaned in disbelief. “What am I just going to combust if I step into the light? Will I turn into a pile of ash and smoke?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. That’s an old myth.” The Nurse smiled comfortingly at the him. “But even a short amount of exposure will cause your skin to become irritated. It’ll be painful. Your eyes and skin will sting in the light and with extended exposure you’ll develop serious burns.”

“Anything else? What about everything else? Is that all myths too? Garlic? Crosses? Stakes? Hell, even fucking holy water?”

“A lot of what you read in fiction isn’t true. Garlic, crosses, and holy water won’t harm you. However, like everything else you can be killed by a stake to the heart. Any weapon can kill you. You’re not immortal.”

“Well that sounds fucking great.” Manfred grumbled sarcastically, slumping back in his seat.

“I’m sorry buddy.” The Nurse stood up, hearing her tablet begin to buzz again. She sighed. “You will adjust. I promise.”

She abruptly turned on her heels and scurried back to the Honolulu suite before it was too late, leaving Manfred alone in the game room. He laid his head back in his chair and ran his tongue over his sore gums, feeling the sharp points of his fangs poking through. Exhausted, Manfred thought. He thought about how he would have to feed from people. How he could no longer go out in the sun. How his life would never be the same again.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**The Hotel Artemis, Los Angeles, September 9** ** th ** **, 2028.**

“Unless you want me to accidentally rip out these pearly whites, I’d suggest you stop talking.”

Manfred Stone lay back in his hospital bed which was positioned like a dentist chair. He looked different. Much different from how he had looked only a few days before. Now his skin was smooth and his hair glossy and healthy. His eyes, fierce and deep, had returned to their usual bright selves, although his split pupil remained, obscuring his vision. His mouth was stretched wide open as The Nurse poked around inside.

Manny grumbled as The Nurse’s latex medical gloves pressed against the roof of his mouth while she examined his fangs. “These are looking good. I’d say you’re free to go.” Where once before short canine teeth had protruded from Manny’s upper jaw now sharp fangs emerged, ready for a life time of biting flesh.

“Are you sure theeth thingth are going to be okey? I’m not going to bite mythelf am I?” Manny lisped, ignoring The Nurse’s warning about talking with her fingers in his mouth.

“You probably will.” The Nurse replied, her concentration still fixed on the inside of the arms dealer’s mouth. “At least for a while. You’ll need to learn how to bite properly. It’ll be difficult for you to eat food until you get used to it.”

“Are you thucking kidding me?” Manny complained, throwing a disgusted look at The Nurse with his eyes.

“Sorry kid.” The Nurse removed her fingers from his mouth and patted his cheek twice before instructing the bed to return to its normal position.

Manny instantly hopped off the bed before it had even begun to reposition itself. “You said I can go? Right I can just walk outta here this time? Straight out of the front door.”

“Sure, unless you want to go out the back.” The Nurse straightened the sheets on the bed. “How’s your head feeling?”

“Better than yesterday.” Manfred grumbled. “But it still fucking hurts.”

“Here,” The Nurse scooted around the bed to Manny’s side and administered a shot of painkiller to his upper bicep before he could intervene.

“Ow what the fuck?!” He screeched, wheeling around to smack The Nurse. “A little fucking warning would’ve been nice.”

The Nurse dodged his flailing arms and shuffled across the room to check the large screen, ignoring his curses. “That’ll keep your headaches at bay for a couple hours. After that these will do.” The Nurse picked up a small tub from the counter and threw it at him. 

Manfred caught the tub and read the label. Ibuprofen. “Is that all I get?” He protested. “This cheap shit?”

“You don’t need anything strong.” The corner of The Nurse’s mouth twitched up into a smile. “It’s only a headache.”

Manny rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah very funny.” He tutted before squinting. “Can you pass my fucking glasses? I can’t see a fucking thing.”

The Nurse shuffled across the Nice suite which had been Manfred’s home for almost two weeks and picked up his glasses. She examined them before passing them to Manny.

“I know.” Manny snapped before she could say anything, snatching the glasses from her and shoving them on his face. “I couldn’t get any fucking contacts in Cancun, so I had to have these horrible pieces of crap made instead.”

“They suit you.” The Nurse looked up from the screen of the tablet to compliment the arms dealer.

“Oh, don’t be such a lying piece of-” Manny begun as The Nurse started heading for the door. “Hey where are you fucking going?”

“You don’t need me anymore. Like I said,” She flicked her hand at the door. “You’re free to go.”

“Wait a minute, where are much fucking clothes?”

The Nurse barely even battered an eyelid. “They’ve been washed and pressed and folded into the drawer down there.” She indicated to the opposite side of the suite. “Please fold your robes before you leave. It’ll make it easier for Everest to clean up after you’ve gone.” She turned to leave before remembering “Oh, get yourself somewhere safe. You still need to rest.”

Manny raised an eyebrow but said nothing as The Nurse left. Shuffling towards the cabinet he kicked off the hotel slippers and bent to open the drawer. Inside he found his full outfit which he had worn the night he had been attacked. Now it was fresh and blood free. He pulled out his Gucci jacket and inspected the threads carefully, hoping to pick apart The Nurse for ruining his suit, but to his surprise it looked almost new.

Removing the hotel robes and dumping them in a pile on top of the slippers he pulled on his outfit. It was the first time he’d worn anything apart from underwear and the hotel robes since he was admitted. It felt comfortable to feel the soft fabric of real clothes on his skin, he felt like himself again. He draped his scarf over his shoulder before half buttoning up his shirt, leaving the upper part of his chest exposed. Just how he liked it.

Thoroughly checking the room, he grabbed his phone and wallet before and heading out. However, as he hastily ambled down the corridor towards the gate, the looming figure of Everest blocked his way.

“Hey, move your fat ass outta my fucking way I’m on my way out, so if you’d excuse me-”

“Be careful what you say to me Mr Nice.” Everest stared down at him coldly. “That type of talk will get your membership revoked.”

Manny stared up at him, his mouth slightly open in disbelief. “I’ve been good all fucking week and now you’re threatening to revoke my membership because you won’t let me leave. Who the fuck do you think you are?” 

Everest bent down to stare Manny eye to eye. “Watch it little man.”

“Yeah yeah, just let me fucking pass.”

“I can’t let you do that.” The Orderly grunted.

“What?!” Manny screeched before Everest could finish. “I haven’t fucking done anything this time.”

“No,” Everest’s face remained unfriendly, emotionless, unchanged. “But the last time you were here you left with the key. I’m going to need it back.”

Manny rolled his eyes and licked his lips in annoyance. “It’s on the fucking table in the room.”

“If I find it isn’t I will hunt you down. No one steals from the Artemis.”

“Look,” Manny groaned, rubbing his temples. “I didn’t mean to take the key last time. This place was going to shit, and I needed to get out. It’s in there this time, just fucking let me leave.”

Everest rose and stepped aside. “You better be telling the truth.”

Manny ignored him and pushed past him towards the gate, muttering insults about the big man to himself. Once he was clear of the gate and in the elevator, he pulled out his phone and called for a pick up. Moments later he was stood outside one of the many back entrances of the Artemis. He was waiting in the dimly lit night for mere seconds before his pick arrived, and when it did he instantly jumped into the back seat.

“Where will it be sir?”

“I don’t care just take me some place away from here where I can fucking relax…. And turn the air conditioning on in here it feels like someone drove into the fucking sun.”

“Sir the air conditioning is on.”

“Then turn it up.” He almost snarled at his driver as the car sped away from the Artemis. He settled back in his seat and stared out of the tinted window into the night. This would be his day now.

The ride took longer than it should have as Manfred argued with the driver as to where to take him, but eventually he settled on a place. Once they had arrived Manny climbed out of the car and turned to his chauffer. “Take the money from my account.”

“Certainly sir.” The chauffer nodded. “Will you need picking up later?”

“Probably not.” Manny glared at the sky and realised it must be the early hours of the morning; dawn would arrive in a few short hours. “I think I’ll be here some time.”

“Alright. Good night sir.” The car drove away as Manny turned around to face the almost innocent looking backstreet. Somewhere down there was a doorway which led to an exclusive, member’s only club. One of Manny’s favourite haunts. Taking a deep breath, he sauntered into the darkness until he found the hidden door and knocked once.

“Name.” A gruff voice called from inside.

“This is Manny Stone.” There was silence from behind the door. “Hello? Are you still there? I have a fucking premium membership open this fucking door.”

Moments later the door swung open and Manny was blinded by the bright neon lights from inside and blaring hip-hop music which couldn’t be heard from the outside. “Welcome back Mr Stone.”

“Okey cut me the crap,” Manny pushed through the door into the club. The door was promptly closed after he entered, so to keep the secret club hidden. “Have you got any fucking coke in this place?”

“Right this way.” The bouncer led him into the main club area. Manny skirted through the mixture of half-dressed men and women who were drunkenly swaying on the dance floor and headed straight to a large arm chair. He sat himself down as moments later the bouncer returned with a clear pouch. “Will this be enough sir?”

“Yeah, fantastic. Can you bring me a whisky too I don’t want to remember a fucking thing from tonight?” He settled himself into the plush velvet cushions and closed his eyes, content. The bouncer placed the pouch of white powder on the table besides Manny and left to pour a drink for the exhausted arms dealer.

It wasn’t more than a minute before Manny’s peace was interrupted by a familiar voice and a pair of petite hands caress over his shoulders. “Manfred Stone. I thought you’d fallen off the face of the earth.”  He smirked and looked up over the back of the chair to see a skimpily dressed dancer. She gave him a wicked smile as he rose to his feet.

“Veronica, sweetheart.” Manny purred as he faced her, blinking in excitement. “What a surprise.”

Veronica placed one hand on his chest as rested his on her hip. “I thought you’d forgotten about this place. Look at you,” She cooed. “The glasses are a nice touch.”

“Oh yeah?” He grinned, lapping up the ego boost; the complete opposite reaction to the compliment he had received from The Nurse only an hour before. “Some fucking twink scratched my face.” He lifted down his glasses a little to show the showgirl his scars. “And he caught my fucking eye. I can’t see shit now.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” She stroked a smooth finger down his cheek.

“I got it fixed up and then had to get out of LA. Those riots were fucking crazy. All those animals running around, shooting up places with shit accuracy. I’ve been laying low in Cancun.”

“What brought you back then?” She purred in his ear during the brief moment of quiet between tracks.

“Business.” He replied. “I can’t really go into it but it’s not important anyway.” He smirked, looking the girl up and down. His gaze ogling her almost unhealthily thin figure and the curves which fit perfectly in her exposed lingerie.  

“I see.” Her face was very close to Manny’s. “How’s about we head to a backroom for a catch up?”

“Baby girl you read my mind.” The atmosphere of the club and the sensual touch was turning him on. Veronica smiled sweetly as Manny bent down and pocketed the pouch of cocaine before following her across the dancefloor into a secluded back room, decked out with a large, curved, luxurious leather sofa.

The moment they entered Manny removed his jacket and tossed it onto the back of the sofa before the girl pushed the shorter man onto it and climbed on top of his lap. He gazed up at her, blinking with pleasure, already feeling himself get hard. “Do you want me to pay you now?” He breathed, “or shall we-”

“Shh.” The girl silenced him by planting a kiss on his lips and sliding a delicate hand inside his shirt. Manny kissed back, almost too hastily, and tasted cherries on her lips.  

“You taste good.” He moaned seductively as she pushed back his shirt, exposing the entirety of his chest in the neon green light.

“You say that every time.” She seductively began moving her hips as she caressed his chest, knowing full well the arms dealer would get excited. She knew exactly how to get him off so always came away with a hefty pay check after she’d finished with him.

Manfred lay back on the chair, letting her dance around on his lap. He breathed a pleasured moan as he mischievously placed a hand on her ass. She gazed down at him playfully and went down for another kiss. He leaned up, desperately deprived of affection, and moaned himself into the kiss.

Their lips locked only for seconds as Veronica started to make small kisses down his neck. He shuddered with delight, taking in the sweet scent of her flesh.

Suddenly he felt hot. Too hot. He’d never noticed her smell before, but now with her neck only inches away from his face, it was too much. She smelt so good. Enticing. It made him hungry, his vision becoming blurred by the neon light and the unescapable desire he felt awake inside. A combination of erotic fantasy and uncontrollable hunger gripped Manfred as he became weak, still feeling the dancer brush against his lap with each delicate sway.

It was too much and in seconds Manny came to realise the horror of who he had become.

Breathing an orgasmic sigh, he opened his mouth and sunk his fangs into her neck. His bite was messy, uncoordinated, and unexperienced. Each tooth within his mouth punctured her flesh, silencing her pained screams.

Blood spurted everywhere. He’d hit an artery. It came in gushes, synchronised perfectly with every beat of her heart. Manfred became soaked in seconds. It sprayed his face; droplets of blood dripping down the lenses of his glasses. But he took no notice of the mess as he hungrily lapped up at Veronica’s lifeblood. He could taste the iron on his tongue and it filled him with euphoric delight and awakening his carnivorous instincts. 

Veronica tried to pull away, but Manfred’s fingers were gripped tightly in her hips. He held her in place as she slowly became weaker with each beat of her heart. Soon the room was a horrifyingly gory scene. Blood dripped down cracks in the leather of the sofa, and large streaks had begun dripping down the walls. 

It seemed like years, but in reality only seconds had elapsed before Veronica’s body hung limply in Manny’s arms. He continued to maul the flesh of her neck until there was no more left for him to take. It was only then that through the blood-stained lenses of his glasses he realised the chaos he had created.

Eyes wide in horror Manny threw the dead girl’s body to the floor and jumped up in shock. He could feel himself becoming nauseous at the sight. Everything was red. Everything.

Hastily he dragged on his slick, blood-soaked shirt. “Fuck.” He cursed to himself in disgust as he stepped over the crumpled corpse and pulled on his jacket, hands shaking in complete fear. He only had seconds to react as a trail of blood had begun trickling under the door frame, into the main corridor of the club. Shoving the bag of cocaine into his jacket pocket he threw open the backroom door and sprinted across the dance floor, his Chelsea boots leaving distinctive bloody footprints in view of the other members.   Racing out of the club, Manny could hear a chorus of screams erupt from inside as members began to discover the animalistic carnage he had created.  


	8. Chapter 8

**Los Angeles, September 12 th, 2028. Two days since the club incident. **

“Alright Orian cut me the crap I’m sick of you being the cause of all the shit I’ve been through recently.” Manfred barged through the front doors into the Franklin’s home; The security enforcer of the gates to the estate struggling to keep up with the little man. Storming into the hall he found Orian lounging in waiting on the lavish sofas. By his side Crosby lay asleep in his wolf form. Two extra security officers stood on either side of the sofas, keeping a watchful eye on the mob boss and his son.

Upon Manny’s entrance Orian stood up to great the arms dealer with a welcome smile, but Manny was far too angry to allow the him to welcome him so calmly.  “Listen.” He stormed up the Wolf King “Don’t fucking patronise me. You’re the reason I’m like this.”

Orian brushed off Manny’s abuse, giving off a serene energy.  “I heard about your…uh… your accident after you were discharged.”

“Oh yeah?” He stared at Orian, fire ranging in his eyes. “Of course you did, you have eyes all over LA. Well if it hadn’t had been for you I wouldn’t be in this mess. I wouldn’t have been turned and I wouldn’t have made such a fucking fool of myself. I haven’t left my apartment in two days because of you.”

“Yes…” Orian paused. “The first couple of weeks after turning can be… uh… rough.” He removed his sunglasses, despite not needing them in the brightly lit hall of his home, and eyed Manny up and down. The small man looked sharp. Dressed in a pressed suit, and hair gelled back. But his eyes were sunken, and his skin looked frail. “You need to feed.”

“You think? I know what I fucking need to do I don’t need some wolf reminding me.” He glared at Orian as his nose picked up the scent of the Franklins. “God…” He coughed, wrinkling  his nose. “You fucking stink man what’s up with that you gotta get some cologne or something.”

Orian laughed, slightly nervously. “We werewolves have been… uh… told that we don’t smell so… pleasant.”

“You don’t smell pleasant?” Manny stared at him in disbelief, his mouth hanging slightly open. “You smell like fucking wet dog…”

Crosby lifted his head from his paws. “Don’t fucking talk about my father like that”

“Oh yeah?” Manny growled at the wolf. “What’re you gonna do about it? You don’t smell any better. Fucking werewolves…”

Crosby growled, his muscles flexing as he prepared to leap off the sofa, but Orian stopped him with a gentle pat on the head. “Calm down kiddo.”

With a grumble Crosby’s body relaxed and he tucked his head back into his paws. “It’s not our fault we fucking smell, okey?” He mumbled.

“I know son.” Orian turned back to Manny who was staring at them both, a pissed off expression plastered across his face. “Here.” Orian pulled something from the inside pocket of his beige jacket and threw it at the arms dealer. “You’re hungry.”

The object hit Manny in the chest. It sloshed and plopped into Manfred’s hands as it fell from his chest. A blood bag. “How do I know this shit’s safe?”

“You think we uh… Franklins… wouldn’t have fresh blood brought in?”

“I suppose not…” Manfred grumbled, warily bringing the bag up to his lips and tearing off a corner. The instant the metallic liquid touched his tongue all worry washed away. This blood was special, and he knew it. Not like the shit he’d been drinking in the Artemis, this was fresh, spiced, delicious.  

The arms dealer finished the bag in seconds and instantly felt calmer. He discarded the now empty plastic bag, giving no regards to the tidiness of the Franklin’s household, and returned to face the Wolf King.

“Better?” Orian questioned him softly.

“Yes…” Manfred hesitated. “Thank you.”

“Good.” Orian indicated to the sofa, enticing Manny sit next to his son. “Please take a seat.”

Manfred sat reluctantly, trying to shuffle as far away from the malamute sized prince of LA as he could. Crosby opened one at the uneasy arms dealer and watched him intensely as he sat down.

“Does your fucking son have to watch me like that?” Manfred’s voice was anxious; he wrinkled his nose in disgust as the smell of Crosby hit his nostrils.

“Ignore him.” Orian barely even acknowledged his son’s clear disgust. “Cros does what he wants. If he makes you uncomfortable just give him a gentle slap on the ear.”

“You won’t fucking touch me.” Crosby bared his teeth at Manny, making the arms dealer recoil in fright.

But Orian ignored his son’s snap and proceeded to go straight into business. “I’m unsure if you’re aware… but uh… the night you were attacked by Detroit… we lost our guns to them.”

“You WHAT?!?!” Manfred exploded. “You fucking let them get your guns? After I went through all that fucking effort just to get them for you.”

Crosby’s ears instantly drooped, and he hid his eyes beneath a paw. Orian could sense his son’s guilt but gave him some dignity in not mentioning it.

Manfred, meanwhile, was still going off about the loss of the guns. “How could you fucking let this happen, Orian you piece of shit.”

“Now now,” The Wolf King put on an oddly overly soothing voice and placed a large, warm hand on Manfred’s shoulder, patting him twice. The arms dealer instantly relaxed, suddenly feeling quite childish as the king of LA treated him with such disrespect. “We need to retrieve the guns from Detroit.”

“What do you mean?” Manny scowled. “We can’t just walk straight up to their door and ask for them back. I could just get you some more. Look if you pay me double I’ll order some more, and we’ll leave it at that. I don’t want to be involved in this fucking bullshit anymore, alright? These guns have cost me my humanity and if you weren’t the man who owns LA I’d have fucking killed you myself.”

Orian raised an eyebrow; Crosby lifted his head in disbelief as the arms dealer continued to talk.

“Firstly,” Orian smoothly interrupted Manfred’s rant. “Getting more won’t solve our problem. Because Detroit now have the technology, we’re not safe. This isn’t about who has the …uh… the biggest, flashiest guns. It’s about survival, and if we don’t get them back from Detroit we’re in a real pickle.”

Manfred gawped at him. “Then why do you fucking need me? You’ve got your pack, you’ve got security. I haven’t got anything.”

“That leads me onto my second point.” Orian continued with ease as Manfred closed his mouth and scowled in confusion. “Because of what… uh… happened. Technically… Detroit owns your butt.”

“WHAT?!” Manfred exploded. Again. 

“You see…” Suddenly the Wolf King seemed uneasy. “They turned you… and vampires, especially Detroit, have a very good recollection of who turned who. Detroit is a coven… and well… uh… you’re part of it now.”

Manfred was speechless. He stared at the Wolf King in a mixture of shock and anger. His mouth hung open, but silent. Beneath his glasses his eyes burned.

“Take your time.” Orian spoke, allowing the arms dealer to process the information which had just hit him like a train.

Eventually Manny rubbed his temples in defeat. “So what you’re telling me is that I belong to your enemy now? And you’re just gonna keep doing business with me? Doesn’t that put you in danger?”

“It’s a risk I must take.” Orian replied bluntly.

“Let me get this straight.” Manny sat back on the sofa, swinging his feet onto the cushions and almost kicking Crosby in the process. “You want me to go up to Detroit, sweeten them with the whole ‘I belong to you’ act, and then grab your guns? Fuck you pal I ain’t doing that.”

“You have no choice.” Suddenly Orian’s voice turned cold. It made Manny uncomfortable. “It’s either you get the guns back for us, or Detroit takes you in…”

“If you chose the latter,” Crosby interrupted his father. “We’ll hunt you down and rip your fucking limbs off.”

Manfred gulped. “Okey fine… enough with the fucking threats alright. I’ll do it… But I ain’t going alone.”

“We didn’t expect you to.” Orian’s voice had returned to its normal smooth caramel tone. Almost without warning one of the security guards overlooking the trio began walking out of the room.

Manfred watched him go. “Where the fuck is he going?”

“Since that night in the Artemis, we’ve …uh… been very fortunate in forming contacts with people, and I …uh… I think you’ll be impressed with the person we’ve chosen to assist you.”

“Oh great,” Manfred rolled his eyes. “You’re getting another innocent fucker involved in your plans.”

Before Orian could reply the door through which the security guard disappeared opened once more and in walked the returning guard with a familiar man, dressed in a dapper grey suit. Sherman Atkins.

Sherman wasn’t aware of whose home he had arrived at fifteen minutes before and had been kept comfortable until it was time to bring him in. However, now that he could truly take in whose home he had entered his face dropped in panic.

“Oh god…” He gasped, seeing the Wolf King sat patiently on the sofa. He tried to back away and run, but the security guard grabbed his shoulder and pushed him forwards.

“You!” Manfred hissed in anger, leaping up from the sofa and storming across the room to face the panicking bank robber. “This is for touching my jacket, fucker.” With one quick sweep he delivered a brutal slap to Sherman’s cheek. The thief fell back from the impact and collapsed into a book case. He hadn’t expecting the arm’s dealers blow to be so powerful.

“What the fuck man?” Sherman tried to pull himself up from the shelves, but Manfred was on him like a rabid dog.

“And this is for stealing my wallet.” Manny bared his fangs and launched for Sherman’s throat, intent on ending the bank robber’s life there and then. But before he could pierce the soft flesh of Sherman’s neck, a strong jaw snapped around the base of his jacket, and with a growl pulled him off the frightened man.

“Don’t fucking touch him.” Crosby snarled through clenched teeth as he dragged the flailing arms dealer along the floor and away from Sherman, showing no regard at all for the ripping designer fabric between his teeth.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” Manfred threatened both Sherman and Crosby as Sherman warily straightened himself off.

“Sure you will…” Sherman hesitated, blinking in shock at the events which just unfolded. The little man was a vampire. The dog could speak… a voice he recognised as belonging to Crosby… the Wolf King was sat watching him with a cool, calm composure… Sherman didn’t know what to think.

“Please, Mr Atkins” Orian beckoned him over.

“Oh no…” Sherman shook his head and instantly held up his arms. “Look I don’t have your pen any more. I’m sorry I sold it… I’ll give you the money.”

“That’s not why I brought you here.” Orian replied, rising effortlessly from his seat.

Sherman squinted at him, not believing the Wolf King’s words as he came closer. “It was my brother who stole your diamonds. He died in the Artemis. Please…”

“Relax,” Orian smiled, approaching Sherman. He held his sunglasses by an arm which he gently pressed into his lips as he scanned Sherman’s composure. “I’m not going to drown you…” Sherman sighed with relief, but the Wolf King wasn’t finished. “That is… if you agree to my terms.”

“T…terms?” Sherman stuttered.

Meanwhile Crosby had dragged the arms dealer across the entirety of the room before letting him go. Manfred pulled himself up from the floor and straightened his suit which was now ripped and irreparable.

“You kill him,” Crosby growled, “And I’ll fucking end your sorry existence.”

“You ain’t gonna do shit.” Manny hissed back. “You ruined my fucking jacket. I’m going to fucking shoot you.”

“ENOUGH!” Orian barked, his voice echoing through the vast marble-clad room. Both Crosby and Manfred stopped immediately. “Crosby,” Orian ordered. “Shift.”

“Yes dad…” With that Crosby turned back to his human self. He stood tall above Manfred who still brushed his broken suit and strode across the room to be by his fathers’ side.

“Your… your son is a werewolf?” Sherman blinked.

“We both are.” Orian replied simply. “In fact, the entire …uh… Malibu Mob consists of werewolves.”

“Oohhh you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Sherman shook his head in disbelief and wiped his face with his hand. This was going to be a rough night for the ex-bank robber.


	9. Chapter 9

“So... lemme get this straight.” Sherman rubbed his eyes, trying to process the mountain of information that had just been piled on him. “You’re a werewolf,” he indicated towards Orian, “And so’s your son.”

“Correct.” Orian replied.

“And he’s a vampire.” He pointed towards Manfred, who was sat adjacent from him, scowling.

“It’s not my fucking fault… but yeah.”

Sherman ignored the little man and continued speaking to the Wolf King. “And you want me to go with him… and him…” He pointed at Crosby, “to steal back some guns from a vampire coven whose cover is… waste disposal?”

“Yes, Mr Atkins.” Orian responded as if there was nothing unusual at all. “But Crosby won’t be joining you.”

“What?” Crosby snarled at his father, twisting his head to face Orian and exposing his wolf tattoo to Sherman. “What the fuck Dad? What do you mean I’m not going?”

“You’re not going, Cros.” Orian’s voice remained calm but firm, despite his son’s outrage.

“You can’t fucking stop me.” Crosby growled before his voice became much softer… his tone letting through hints of his guilt. “This situation is my fault. I gotta put things right.”

“I know,” Orian patted his son’s knee “We’ll talk about this later Cros.”

Crosby grunted in defeat. If he had been in wolf form he would have sulkily placed his head on his paws, but instead he crossed his arms in annoyance.

“Now,” Orian turned his attention back to the man who had stolen his pen. “Will you help us?”

“And if I don’t?” Sherman questioned.

“Then I gotta return you to the ocean.”

“I see...” Sherman sighed. “Alight I’ll do it. As long as your pack comes with me. I’m not spending the night alone with this little man… and Moonmoon here if he decides to come along.”

“What the fuck did you just call me?” Crosby growled through clenched teeth, a small bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

“Whoa whoa.” Sherman held up his hands.

“Hey shut the fuck up,” Manny snapped at Crosby, to which the wolf prince instantly fell quiet.

“T…thanks…” Sherman hesitated, unsure about thanking the man that had tried to kill him moments before.

“I wasn’t fucking defending you.” Manfred snarled. “I’ve got a head ache coming on and the smell of your blood isn’t helping.”

“Riiiight…” Sherman’s shock could be heard in his voice, despite him trying to keep calm.

“Crosby,” Orian suggested. “Why don’t you go and …uh… find Trojan. Go and organise the mob for tonight.”

“Yes dad.” Crosby huffed, standing up from the sofa and storming out of the room.

“I’m so sorry about him…” Orian smiled when Crosby had left, pulling his sunglasses back onto his face. “Sons don’t do as they’re told… and Crosby… uh… He’s been a handful since he was born.”

“I can see that.” Sherman noted, scanning the situation. “So, uh… back to business… I meet with your guys and-”

“I will have Dennis pick you up around …uh… 3am. We gotta make use of the night.” The Wolf King offered.

“No no…”

“Don’t worry kid. Dennis won’t drive you to the …uh… the ocean. He’ll take you and Mr Stone to where the pack will be congregated.”

“Oh thank fuck, you remembered me in all of this.” Manfred rolled his eyes sarcastically.

“What’s his problem?” Sherman asked Orian in regard to the arms dealer.

“He’s just salty about his ‘humanity’…” Orian spoke. “And because …uh…  because we must go tonight as-”

“Yeah because vampires can’t go in the fucking sun.” Manfred interrupted. “Because if we went during the night all the fucking vampires would be awake and it’d be too risky getting in. So we go in the morning after the sun has risen because guess what no vampires go out in the fucking morning because the sun burns their skin…. Oh but wait we’re missing an important piece of information here. I’M A FUCKING VAMPIRE.”

Sherman adjusted himself uncomfortably in his seat at the arms dealer’s outburst, but Orian didn’t even flinch.

“Relax.” Orian tutted. “We have all the equipment you need to avoid sunburn. Plus… uh… if all goes to plan you’ll be outside for a maximum of 5 minutes.”

“FIVE MINUTES? ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY THAT’S GOING TO HURT LIKE A BITCH.”

“Good job you …uh… still pay Jeany for your membership then.”  

“Ohh,” Manfred laughed sarcastically, turning to the Wolf King and baring his fangs. “Yeah that’s right I’ll just go and get that stuck up old witch to treat my burns. No big deal.”

Orian eyed him suspiciously through his sunglasses as the arms dealer stood. Trying to act inconspicuous Manfred reached with one hand into his bag and rummaged around until he felt the cold plastic of his spare 3d printed glock which he had swiped from his apartment. Gripping the gun tight, Manny whipped his arm from his bag and pointed the barrel of the plastic gun at the Wolf King.

“Ooohh shit…” Sherman cursed under his breath, knowing whatever he was about to witness would be messy.

“Why have I always gotta get hurt? Hey?” Manfred took a step closer to Orian who now held up his hands. Although the Wolf King had adopted a neutral position, he showed no fear in his eyes.

“Please… Mr Stone… Put the gun down and-”

“Fuck you Orian. I’m sick of you bossing me around. Just because you’re the king of Los Angeles doesn’t make me your bitch.”

“I assure you we have everything you need to …uh… be protected from the sunlight.”

“Yeah? How am I fucking supposed to believe you? All I’ve seen of your pack so far is that stupid piece of shit you call a son, and a bunch of men who don’t give two fucks about anyone else...” Manfred took another step towards the Wolf King and cocked the gun with a click. “I don’t fucking trust you”

“Hey…” Sherman interjected hopelessly. “I really don’t think you should-”

“Shut the fuck up.” Manfred hissed, swinging his aim around at the ex-bank robber.

Instantly Sherman held up his hands too. While Manny’s attention was distracted by Sherman, Orian took the opportunity to handle the situation. With one swift action he transformed into his wolf form. Manny caught the transformation through his peripheral vision and immediately turned his attention back to the Wolf King who now stood majestically above him.    

Orian’s wolf form was a lot different from Crosby’s. Although Crosby stood tall and dangerous around 4”, he seemed tiny compared to his dad’s 6” from toe to ear. His fur was glossy and thick, fierce shades of golds, oranges, reds and browns, although his muzzle was splattered with greying flecks. He towered over Manfred and exposed his claws in a threatening stance. Without giving the arms dealer a chance to process he launched at him, bowling the tiny man over. Manfred let out a shriek and pulled the trigger, firing a bullet as he fell.

Seconds later, Orian was pinning Manny to the marble tiles. A huge paw, twice the size of Manny’s face, pressed onto each of the arms dealer’s shoulders, preventing the little man from wriggling away. Manny was horrified. He quivered in fear, staring upwards, frozen in terror, at the huge wolf who was crushing him into the tiles. He could make out a growing patch of red fur on Orian’s leg from where the bullet must have entered, but the injury didn’t seem to both the Wolf King at all. Instead, Orian pushed his snout right up to the arms dealer’s face, only inches away from chewing off his nose with his finger-length fangs.

“I don’t take lightly to people who disobey me.” Orian snarled.

“Okey…” Manny cried, trying to shield his face away from the smell of Orian’s breath. “Okey fine… I’m sorry… I’ll do it.”

Meanwhile, Sherman was watching the whole thing unfold. He was sure he could see tears forming in the arms dealer’s eyes, but it could just have been a trick of the lighting. He couldn’t tell.

“Right answer kiddo.” Orian sniffed and retreated from the crumpled Manny. Padding back over to where he was seated, Orian shifted back to his human form and sat down as Manny pulled himself off the cold tiles and dusted off his ripped suit. Sherman watched the Wolf King nervously, taking note of the blood stain which was beginning to seep through his beige jacket.

For a moment, the Wolf King didn’t notice his injuries, but soon he felt the blood trickling down his arm and the pain hit him. “Fuck.” He cursed under his breath, as if the bullet wound was only a minor cut. “Look like I’ve got …uh… other things to attend to.” He huffed, placing his spare hand on the injury and applying pressure.

Manfred, meanwhile, had pulled himself back onto the sofa and was shaking slightly, the shock setting in.  

“Make yourself at home boys.” Orian indicated to both Sherman and Manfred, before rising from his seat once more. “I don’t want any more trouble. Y’see, I need you both for this job and …uh… you cause any more trouble, and you’re both taking a trip to the open aquarium.”

Sherman gulped, knowing exactly what the Wolf King meant as he waltzed out of the room.

*

“Dad what the fuck happened?” Crosby rushed to his father’s aid as Orian shuffled into the kitchen. He held a hand to his injured arm as he began searching for a towel to wrap his wound.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle.” Orian replied, finding a towel. He removed his blood-soaked jacket and placed it on the back of a stool which was tucked under the breakfast bar. “Come here and help your old man tie this up.”

Crosby immediately took the towel from his hands and tied it on the wound, making sure there was enough pressure. “I’ll fucking kill that son of a bitch.”

“Crosby,” Orian sighed. “Enough with that…”

“He fucking hurt you dad and-”

“Yes and I told you it was nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Crosby whined. “Please dad… why are you being like this all of a sudden?”

“Like what?” Orian questioned his son, dipping his eyebrows in confusion.

When Crosby replied his voice was soft, innocent even, it was a voice Orian had heard before. Recently.

“You’re not letting me do anything anymore dad. Not since the night at the Artemis… How am I supposed to be like you if you won’t let me?”

“Crosby…” Orian sighed, pulling out the bar stool and perching himself up on it. “You’re not being like me though… All you’re doing is trying to protect me…”

“Dad I…” Crosby hesitated. “I almost lost you once… I can’t go through that pain again.”

“I know son…”

“But,” Crosby continued. “It’s almost as if you don’t respect me at all anymore. I know I’ve never made you proud… or gained your respect… I know that being the youngest has made me soft and I hold onto useless bullshit… but… I just want to be a person you can be proud of.”

“When I said those things to you…” Orian sighed, placing a hand on his son’s arm. “On your …uh… what was it? 16th birthday?”

“Yeah.”

“When I said those things, it was because I wanted you to become a person YOU could be proud of. Not me. Because kiddo…” Orian paused, feeling a lot of emotions hit the back of his throat all at once. “Because I’ve always been proud of you. Everything you’ve done I’ve been proud of.”

Crosby stared at his father in shock, hearing those words suddenly filled him with so much guilt. He could feel his eyes filling with tears and it would only be seconds before those tears cascaded down his cheeks.

“The reason I…” Orian continued. “The reason I don’t respect you… Is because you don’t respect me. You always look out for me, but I care about you too, sport. You never look after yourself and one day it’s going to get you hurt. No father wants to bury their child… especially their youngest.”

With that Crosby’s tears were unleashed. “You… Dad… I’m sorry…”

“I just want you to know that I’ll always love you, no matter how hard I am on you.”

“But…” Crosby fell silent.

“What is it?”

“The day I came out to you… You didn’t want to know… You didn’t accept me for who I am…”

“That’s because it was the wrong time. We’d just finished a job,” He reminded his son. “It was 3am, we were driving back from the harbour. I needed time to process things. When I tried to speak to you the next day… you were all cold. Refused to talk. I’m your old man, I’ve got to accept you no matter what you are… but that night… it wasn’t a good night to uh… spring that news on me.”

“Oh…” Crosby sniffed, wiping his cheeks on his sleeve. “Dad?” He asked. “Will you forgive me?”

“For what? For being my son? Crosby… I have nothing to forgive you over. I just don’t want you to put yourself in danger all the time… especially not for me.”

Crosby looked down. “I know dad… but I’m still going tonight. I gotta do it… this whole… fucking mess… this is my fault.”

“I don’t blame you for this Cros…” Orian pulled his son into a hug. He winced for a moment, forgetting the bullet wound in his arm, but once the pain had subsided again he held his son tight. “You make me so proud kiddo. Please don’t do anything stupid……”

“I won’t dad… I… I… I love you…”

“I love you too Crosby.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Los Angeles financial district, 08:24am, September 13 th, 2028.**

Despite only rising an hour before, the sun was already bathing downtown in thick golden rays. It glittered off the glass windows of each towering building; the heart of Los Angeles. But in the shadows lurked a small man, clad in an all blue jump suit. ‘Pacific Ocean Blue Air Conditioning’ the logo on the back claimed. But this was just a disguise to get to where he needed to be. Taking a long drag of his cigarette, Manfred Stone shifted uncomfortably in the itchy fabric. Why did he agree to wear this crap? In fact, why did he agree to anything? He could’ve been sat in Cancun drinking piña coladas through a straw if he had just ignored his phone the day he received a call from the Wolf King. But instead, he was here, stood in the shade of LA’s financial metropolis, his eyes red and painful under his tinted prescription glasses. He just wanted a break.

With a sigh he took one more drag of his cigarette before discarding it on the floor. He watched the smoking butt be carried along the sidewalk by a soft breeze before it disappeared down a drain.

“Hey,” A voice cut through his moment of tranquillity. “You good to go?”

Manfred look up towards the voice to see Sherman approaching. He was dressed in the same blue jumpsuit as Manny and he held a duffle bag over his shoulder with the air conditioning company logo printed on it. Pacific Ocean Blue Air Conditioning was Sherman’s trusty cover. He used the fake company on every heist to get to where he needed to be. This was no different than a typical day at the office for him. Manfred, however, was truly out of his comfort zone.

“Let’s go.” He grumbled. “I don’t wanna have to wear this shit for one second longer than I need to.” With that he stormed past the bank robber and through the revolving glass doors of the building he had been sheltered by. Sherman watched the little man go before following him into the large, open lobby. In this building, it seemed, almost everything was made of glass. From the walls replaced ceiling to floor by tinted windows, to the elegant chandelier, to even the desk at which the receptionist sat. To Sherman, this all seemed a little unnecessary, but to Manfred he knew the exact reason. Not only did this building blend in to the surrounding district, but it also offered something else. UV protection. All this glass was UV protected, something you can’t guarantee with regular glass. “Vampire fuckers,” Manny cursed under his breath as they approached the desk.

“Good morning.” An overly cheerful woman greeted the two men. “What can I do for you today?” Manfred observed her intently, feeling slightly aroused at the way her breasts were slightly exposed in her uniform. She was human. Actually, everyone in the lobby was human. This building didn’t just house Motor City Waste Disposal they had been told. Don’t make a scene.

“We have an appointment with Motor City Waste Disposal,” Sherman replied. “They’re due their annual air conditioning servicing.”

“Alright, let me just see.” The woman pushed her glasses up her nose and begun typing at her keyboard, slightly lent over so she could see the screen. As she did so Manfred ogled at her chest. Sherman noticed the little man’s gaze and gave him a warning smack to the arm. Grumbling, and slightly embarrassed, Manny straightened up and moved his eyes elsewhere. “Yep here we go. Can I just see some ID please?”

Without hesitation Sherman reached into his pocket and pulled out a fake company ID badge. On it was printed a picture of Sherman in his uniform and the information: Thomas Sterling, Service Engineer. Manfred had also been provided with fake identification. He handed it over; the card reading Charles Hammond and the picture had been purposefully printed to appear worn, making his features difficult to distinguish. 

The receptionist studied their cards for a few seconds before handing them back. “Thanks.” She smiled. “Motor City Waste Disposal are located on the sixth floor. Will you need access to the basement?”

“Yes.” Sherman replied confidently. “We’ll need to check the mains supplies. But do you know if there’s adequate lighting down there?” He added. “My colleague here struggles in dim lighting.”

“There should be plenty of light,” The receptionist nodded. “What happened to him?” She pointed at Manny’s scars.

“I-”

“Freak accident,” Sherman interjected before Manny could say something stupid. “Six months ago.”

“Yeah… Partial sight… y’see.” He leant forwards to show the woman his split pupil.

“Ouch. Well I’m sure you’ll be able to see just fine down there.”  

“Good.”

With that the woman’s phone started ringing. “I’ll let you boys get to work,” she smiled before turning her attention to the phone call. Manny and Sherman turned from the glass desk and headed for the stairs.

“What’s taking you so long?” The voice of a very impatient Crosby barked in their ear pieces. The sudden noise caused Manfred to jump.

“Relax,” Sherman replied to the irritated wolf prince. “We’re on our way now.”

“Well you better fucking hurry up. We can’t stay parked here much longer.”

“Alright shut the fuck up.” Manny hissed.

“Don’t worry,” Sherman reassured Crosby who waited with the pack in a plain white van close the locked ground floor entrance of the basement. On the next block, Orian waited in another discreet van. Each member of the pack, the Wolf King, Manfred, and Sherman wore a micro-ear piece through which they communicated; Crosby’s unimpressed whines could be heard by all who wore one. Sherman led Manfred to the stairwell and down to the basement as he continued speaking to Crosby. “We’re in the stairwell now. We’ll be with you in two minutes.”

“You do know where you’re fucking going, don’t you?” Crosby snapped.

“Of course. Your father gave me a map of the building, I memorised the route. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Good. Now hurry up.”

“We’re on our way, shut the fuck up or you’ll draw attention to us. Do you want to get fucking killed?” Manny spat, rubbing the ear piece uncomfortably.

“Don’t fucking talk to me like that.” Crosby barked. Manny was about to curse back at him, but they were both silenced by a new voice appearing.

“Cros… calm down.” Orian advised. “Let the boys do their… uh… job. They’ll be with you shortly.”

Crosby grumbled as Sherman replied. “Thanks.” The pair had reached the bottom of the stairwell and were met by a card scanner system. “Uhh….” Sherman hesitated. “The doors locked”

“Use your fucking ID card.” Crosby growled.

“Alrightttttt.” Sherman rolled his eyes and swiped the card. There was a small beep and the door clicked open.

“Sneaky bastard.” Manny breathed, giving a nod to the Wolf King’s resourcefulness.

“You didn’t think I’d leave you boys without access, did you?” Orian chuckled through the ear piece as they slipped inside. The lights flicked on automatically as they entered and to their relief the basement was empty. Sherman dropped his duffel bag next to the air conditioning equipment and patted his chest to check that his handgun was still tucked neatly away. Both Sherman and Manfred were wearing Kevlar vests under their jump suits to protect against bullets, and the pair knew that once Detroit knew they were there, the vests would be the only things which stood between them finishing the mission… and death.  

Being in the basement made Manfred uneasy. “Can we hurry up?” He asked nervously.

“Nervous, little man?” Sherman asked the arms dealer.

“So what if I am? This place could be crawling with vampires who want my ass so could you perhaps not fucking condescend me? Once those werewolves get in here we’ve got ten minutes maximum to get out before all fucking hell breaks loose. It’s bad enough knowing that they’ll be able to smell me, but the second those dirty mutts are in their noses are gonna be so fucked with their stench we’ll be like sitting ducks.”

Sherman blinked. “You’re not gonna get hurt.” He tried to reassure the arms dealer.

“Come on hurry the fuck up.” Crosby snarled. “We haven’t got time for this bullshit.”

Hearing Crosby’s impatience through the ear piece only fuelled Manny’s fear. He rubbed his face from stress before pulling his trusted 3D printed gun from the inside pocket of his jumpsuit and storming up the basement stairs which led to the side street where Crosby and the pack waited. Once he reached the door he swiped his card on the lock.

Pushing the door open, he was unprepared for the shower of sunlight. “Ah… fuck.” He hissed in pain, shielding his eyes and scurrying back into the shade of the basement. As he ran Sherman heard the van door swing open and out poured Crosby, Trojan, and five other thugs each tightly gripping a black handgun (except Crosby who also had a machine gun strapped to his back), and each clad in thick, Pro-Shield bullet proof vests.   

“You stole those from Pro-Shield?” Sherman observed as the mob stalked into the basement, picking his duffel bag back up off the floor.

“Who gives a shit where we get our stuff from.” Crosby snapped at him before turning to Trojan and tapping his arm. “Go.”

Instantly Trojan set off towards the stairwell and called for the elevator. The clock had started ticking and they couldn’t waste any time. Each member of the mob followed Trojan, with Sherman, Manfred, and finally Crosby bringing up the rear.

Luckily, the elevator only had to be called from the first floor and in a matter of seconds it had arrived, allowing the entire group to pile in and fill the maximum eight-person elevator. Crosby slammed the button for the sixth floor as the doors slid shut, blocking in the eight tall, broad men, and the tiny arms dealer who struggled to breathe.

With each floor they passed the elevator pinged until at last they had reached the sixth floor. By the time they arrived, security had already been alerted of their presence. The cctv in the elevator had detected the arrival of the Malibu mob and high-pitched alarms wailed from the corridor as the elevator doors swung open, allowing the mob to pour out.

Instantly, each thug held out their handguns and shot at any security officers and armed Detroit vampires who were waiting for them. Crosby stayed behind the shield of his men with Manny and Sherman.

“You better fucking know where we’re going” Crosby growled to Sherman over the gun fire, swinging the machine gun over his shoulder and into his hands.

“This way.” Sherman indicated, immediately leading them in the opposite direction from which the pack were locked in gun fire. The wolves could easily have taken the security officers down with their teeth and claws, but that would’ve left them vulnerable. Bullet proof vests only work for werewolves when they’re in their human forms. When they shifted, they have no idea what happened to their clothes, but they know for sure that they would no longer be protected.   

Sherman led Manfred down the corridor towards where they needed to be while Crosby mowed down anyone who tried to stop them. However, as they powered through the hall something on a door caught Crosby’s eye. He stopped dead, staring at the words written in gold. _Alexander Detroit_. This was the office of the mob boss, coven leader, the man who had paid for Orian’s death and intended to masturbate as his throat was slit.  

“Whoaaa whoa.” Sherman stopped and hesitated as Crosby stopped.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” Manny screeched, grabbing Crosby’s arm and trying to drag him away.

“Get the fuck off me.” Crosby snapped out of his minute of panic by flicking his arm, sending the arms dealer hurtling to the floor. Manny hit the floor with a thud.

“We gotta go.” Sherman panicked, pulling out his handgun and sending a bullet to the head of an incoming vampire.

“You go.” Crosby snarled. “I have unfinished business here.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Manny hissed, pulling himself up off the floor. “We’ve got a job to do here kid and you’re gonna get us all killed.”

“No.” Crosby growled, not a human growl, but a fierce wolfish growl. His blood boiled with hatred and it bathed his judgement in red. Letting his anger control his actions he shot at the lock of the door and kicked the glossy wood down.

Through their ear pieces everyone could hear the distressed voice of the Wolf King. “Crosby… kiddo… don’t.” But Crosby was ignored his father and pushed his way into the vampire’s den.

“Fuck.” Sherman cursed before grabbing Manfred’s arm. “Let’s go.”

“And just fucking leave hi-” Manny was cut off by a bullet shooting past his ear. “SHIT” He ducked out of the way as Sherman took out the incoming shooter. “LET’S GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE.” With that the arms dealer set off towards their destination, using his 3D printed gun to take out anyone who stood in their way.

As they turned a corner through the maze of corridors the deafening sound of machine gunfire erupted from the room that Crosby entered.


	11. Chapter 11

Storming down the halls, Sherman and Manfred ploughed towards their destination. A secure safe, within a locked cupboard, within the office of Daimien Elizer. This was the most likely location of the weapons, the Wolf King had told them before the heist, and if in doubt, use your nose. Manfred could recognise the smell of the weapons and his nose took them straight to where they expected.

They stood outside the locked office door while Sherman rummaged through his duffle bag. Manfred kept watch while he was vulnerable, gunning down anyone who tried to stop him until all the weapons he had acquired along the way were out of bullets. “Fuck.” Manfred hissed under his breath as he launched straight into plan B. Teeth.

An incoming vampire, well over six-foot-tall shot at Manfred as he attacked. The bullets penetrated the smaller man’s jump suit but were fortunately caught by his vest. “Fucker.” Manny growled as he got hold of the Detroit vampire by the throat and ripped it out with his teeth. Blood splattered over his face as the vampire instantly dropped to the floor, gurgling through the stream of blood pooling around Manfred’s feet.

Another two throats were ripped out before Sherman had managed to melt the door lock with equipment from his bag. Meanwhile, Manfred was savaging his way through vampires in order to protect the ex-bank robber. His face and jump suit were stained red, absolutely soaking from blood as Sherman kicked down the unlocked door and grabbed Manny’s collar, dragging him into the office. Manny growled at him but soon came to his senses.

“What fucking took you so long?” He snatched the gun from Sherman’s hand and shot dead the one remaining vampire who was trying to get into the office with them.

“I’m sorry.” Sherman wiped his face, “It’s pretty terrifying trying to carry out a heist while actual vampires are trying to kill you.”

“Yeah?” Manny snapped, wiping the blood from his glasses. “Well think yourself fucking lucky you weren’t the one having to deal with that shit.”

“I’m gonna need you to keep guard.” Sherman ordered as he surveyed the room. It was empty; there was no sign of Daimien Elizer, head of Motor City Waste Disposal and Alexander Detroit’s second in command.

“Yeah, sure.” Manny scoffed. “Let the professional do all the fucking work while I have to protect him. Bet you wish your little girlfriend was here to protect you now pal.”

The mention of Elodie made Sherman pause. For a brief second there was genuine pain in his eyes as he mourned the loss of the woman he had felt so strongly for in the past. Blinking, Sherman replied to Manny. “Well she’s not here and neither is Scooby Doo, so I’m gonna need you to protect me now while I get the stuff. Okey?”

“Fuck you.” Manny spat at him, but still obliged as he delivered another shot to the head of an incoming vampire. “Hurry up.”

“Alright,” Sherman set to work immediately, using his equipment once more to break the cupboard lock before attempting to gain access to the vault. While he worked his missed the old heists he used to carry out with his brother. Although Lev had caused him more trouble than good on every single heist they’d done, he couldn’t help but mourn for him. He missed Lev a lot. It wasn’t until he was half way to Las Vegas that night that reality hit him. Lev was dead. Elodie was dead. The two people left in this world who cared for him. Both dead.

He missed his crew. Sherman, Lev, and Buke. Yeah sometimes Buke would bring people he didn’t know, but until the very last heist that hadn’t been a problem. If P-22 hadn’t shot at Pro-Shield, Lev might still have been alive, and he might still be in contact with Buke.

He didn’t even know if Buke was still alive. Did the bullet to the neck kill him? Did the riot get him? Sherman sighed. If only his friend had paid for a membership like he’d suggested.

The sound of gun fire brought Sherman back to reality. Manny was stood at the door taking several bullets to the chest. He fell backwards into the room and collapsed onto the desk before picking himself up and charging back at the security. Both humans and vampires made up the masses now; Manfred didn’t know how many more bullets or how many more ripped-out throats he could take.

Realising the arms dealer was struggling, Sherman pressed on, anxious to get the weapons from the vault and get out. Minutes later the thick metal of the vault was cut through and Sherman could praise open the door. As he did so more gun fire erupted from the door way and he could hear Manny scream.

“YOU NEARLY FUCKING SHOT ME.” Manny snarled in fury as Crosby emerged from the fallen mass of attackers. Crosby was covered in blood. He looked drained, and Manny noticed a bullet wound on his leg bleeding out.

Crosby seemed unphased. “We have to leave. Now.” He snapped, not even limping as he entered the room.

“What?” Sherman whipped his head around in confusion as Crosby stormed over to him. The wolf prince grabbed the bank robber’s shoulder and dragged him from the vault.

“Go.” Crosby barked, snatching the duffel bag from Sherman’s shoulder and sticking his arms into the vault.

“What are you-”

“I FUCKING SAID GO.” Crosby snarled, swiping everything he could grab from the vault and throwing it into the open duffel bag.

“Hey,” Manny growled. “What the fuck did you do?”

Crosby turned to face the arms dealer, his brows dripping with sweat as they dipped angrily down his face. “Get the fuck out of here.” He snapped. “My dad is waiting.” With that he barged past him and launched the bag of weapons at Sherman. Sherman was lucky to catch it and immediately threw the strap over his head before trailing after the Wolf King’s son. Manfred was the last to leave the carnage in the office and scurried after Crosby and Sherman. In the corridor the pack members had returned. They were all bloody and tired, but each one was alive. Crosby barked an order at them before the whole mass stormed towards the stair case.

Crosby lead the way as the mob descended from the sixth floor. He kept his machine gun held out right and took out any security who tried to stop them. Once they reached the ground floor they waltzed through the lobby where all the human civilians were cowering in fear and pushed their way out through the glass doors into the morning LA sunshine. Manfred hissed and cowered his eyes as the sun’s rays brought a fresh wave of pain to his skin.

“Here.” Sherman passed him a cloth which he had stuffed into the duffel bag earlier that morning.

“Thanks.” Manny grumbled before wrapping it around his head in a desperate attempt to block out the sun.

Crosby had started to limp slightly from the bullet wound to his leg as he led the group back towards the back entrance where their van was waiting. Orian’s thickly protected van had parked up beside their own and was waiting for the pack to return. Inside the Wolf King waited anxiously for his son and the team to pile into the first van so they could leave the scene before the cops showed up. Although Orian owned the cops, he could do nothing to prevent them shooting at the mob.

Manny was the first to clamber into the van. He immediately threw open the slide door once they arrived and sheltered from the sun.

“Did you get everything?” Orian’s voice spoke through everyone’s ear piece.

“I think so dad.” Crosby replied.

“Wait…wait.” Manfred interrupted, shouting towards Crosby who still stood outside. “You didn’t check?”

“What do you mean he didn’t check?” Sherman questioned as he pulled himself into the van. Before he could settle in his seat Crosby snatched the bag from Sherman’s shoulder and tore open the zip.

Manny stared as Crosby angrily rummaged through the bag. The wolf prince’s face turned white.

“Crosby?” Orian questioned after hearing his son go silent.

“You fucking piece of shit.” Crosby snarled after a moments silence, drawing out each word as he lifted his head. He thrust an arm into the van where the arms dealer cowered and grabbed him by the front of his jump suit before pulling him back into the sunlight.

“Hey!” Manny protested, baring his teeth and trying to hit Crosby. “Get the fuck off me. What’s wrong with you? I aint don’t shit.”

Crosby threw him on the floor and pointed his hand gun at Sherman in the van. “You made me go in there and you fucking didn’t get all of them.”

“What?” Both Sherman and Orian replied in confusion.

“Crosby. Easy now kiddo” Orian tried to calm his son, but Crosby was ready to attack.

He snarled at Sherman. “You didn’t get the fucking bullets.” He was about to unleash a shower of bullets into the bank robber, but was stopped by a small, blue, bloody bundle barging into him and knocking off balance. Crosby fell back as Manny punched him in the face.

“You’re the one who fucked off and didn’t follow the plan.” He snarled into the taller man’s face as all the other werewolves around them prepared to attack Manny. “If you hadn’t gone and fucked things up for us maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess now. This is your fault.”  

“How dare you.” Crosby rasped, pushing Manny off him and rising to his feet. Manfred fell back as Crosby loomed over him. The arms dealer shuffled backwards in fear but was halted as he reached the feet of Trojan, who blocked his way.

“Crosby.” Orian’s voice spoke again, desperate to calm his son and get him into the van before Detroit caught up with them.

“This is your fault.” Manfred affirmed again as Crosby glared down at him, a wolfish snarl escaping from his mouth and without hesitation Crosby transformed. He stood over Manny, teeth bared and ready to kill.

“No.” Orian cried through the ear piece and threw open the door to his own van. He bundled himself out and transformed the moment his sandals touched the concrete. He shoved himself between the surrounding pack members who were staring at him in shock. The Wolf King never got involved in these sorts of things. It was too dangerous for him to be out in the open. “Crosby, get in the van.” The Wolf King snarled through bared teeth as he approached his son. His fur was glossy in the morning sunlight, unlike Crosby’s who was slick with blood.

Crosby snarled at his father in disbelief but before he could say anything Sherman poked his head out of the van. “Errr… Should we be worried about that?”

Instantly every member of the pack looked up. From out of a sixth-floor window a head had appeared, staring at the pack below. Sherman’s human eye-sight wasn’t as sharp as the eight werewolves or the one vampire so he couldn’t make out the shape of the handgun clasps tightly in the man’s fist. Daimien Elizer had his target in his sight. The Wolf King was in plain sight and he intended to kill. Pointing the gun at the Wolf King’s head, Daimien pulled the trigger. The first shot missed; the bullet had exploded in mid-air. This was the worst possible situation. Because they had retrieved the guns, Detroit now didn’t own anything which could safely fire the silver bullets that had been left behind. This meant that if the bullets were loaded into a gun not specifically designed for them, it would cause them to shatter.  Silver shrapnel was just as dangerous to the werewolves as the complete bullet, but the direction of the shattered bullets was unpredictable.

The first shot missed its target, but Daimien was not defeated. As the pack scattered from the first shot, he pulled the trigger again. This time the bullet shattered. It carried on moving in roughly the same direction as it had been fired and although it missed the Wolf King, the bullet debris got lucky.

A second after the sound of the gun shot echoed through the back street a pained howl cried out. The silver shrapnel had hit Crosby.

Manfred stared in disbelief from the floor where he cowered as the grey and black husky wolf collapsed instantly and started to fit. Immediately Orian transformed back to his human form and barked at the pack. “HELP HIM.”

Sherman was sure he could hear panic in the Wolf King’s voice. Trojan heard it too. He had never heard his boss show weakness before, but this might just be the first time.

Kneeling, Orian placed a hand on Crosby’s furry face as Daimien fired again. He tried to take up the opportunity to kill his rival while he still had the chance. Unfortunately, the bullet exploded in the pistol and caused the entire handgun to explode, sending silver shrapnel into his own face. He fell back through the window as the mob descended on Crosby. Each member of the pack helped lift the unconscious wolf prince into their van before aiding the Wolf King into the van with his son. The rest of the pack climbed into the second van, leaving Manfred on the concrete.  

Manny, who was now very uncomfortable from the sun, was the last to climb into the first van. His skin was dark red and was beginning to flake; Beneath his tinted glasses his eyes streamed painfully. The arms dealer was glad when the van door was slid shut. As they sped off Crosby passed in and out of consciousness, letting out pained cries as the silver in his blood stream set to work. Besides him, Orian sat. He held his son’s paw in his hands and hoped to god that they would get to the Artemis in time.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if ive mentioned it before or not, but for anyone who doesn't know Elodie is Nice. I use her real name because it's pointless using her code name when she isnt in the Artemis. The name comes from the original script in which its mentioned, despite not being mentioned in the movie.


End file.
